Moving the Field Forward: Elucidating the Nexus Between Elder Abuse and Trauma

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Trauma Studies
• Social Work

Background:

• Elder abuse and financial fraud disproportionately affect older adults, with over 10% experiencing abuse and 5% financial fraud annually.
• Current conceptualizations of traumatic stress are less developed for elder abuse compared to child maltreatment or intimate partner violence.
• A trauma framework is crucial for deepening the understanding of elder abuse and enhancing interventions for older victims.

Discussion:

• This special section aims to stimulate research on the intersection of trauma and elder abuse.
• It reviews existing scholarship and proposes methods to enhance the understanding of elder abuse and traumatic stress.
• The introduction highlights three papers applying trauma theories to financial exploitation, General Strain Theory, and historical trauma in Native American populations.

Key Insights:

• Integrating trauma perspectives offers a more comprehensive understanding of elder abuse.
• This approach can lead to more effective prevention strategies and improved support systems for elder abuse survivors.
• Research applying trauma theory to specific areas like financial exploitation and historical trauma is vital.

Outlook:

• Further research is needed to fully integrate trauma conceptualizations into elder abuse studies.
• Developing and applying trauma-informed theories can advance research, theory, and practice in gerontology and social work.
• This work seeks to improve the response to and prevention of elder abuse by understanding its traumatic impact.