Violence against the elderly: a retrospective analysis from a forensic medicine perspective

In many contemporary studies, individuals aged 65 years and older are defined as older adults. Owing to population aging, the number of older adults worldwide is steadily increasing. Age-related physical and cognitive decline, together with social changes, may increase vulnerability to violence in this population. This study aimed to present and discuss data on older adults aged 65 years and over who were victims of violence and underwent medicolegal evaluation, to draw attention to measures that may help prevent violence against older adults, and to propose potential strategies for prevention and intervention.

A total of 275 case files and forensic reports pertaining to individuals aged 65 years and older who underwent medicolegal assessment at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, between January 1, 2016 and January 1, 2025, were retrospectively reviewed. Sociodemographic characteristics, location of the violent incident, perpetrator characteristics, type of violence, injury site, wound type, presence of a psychiatric diagnosis related to the incident, type of psychiatric diagnosis, and the forensic medical severity of injuries were evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS version 29.0.

Among the 275 cases of violence, 97 (35.3%) involved women and 178 (64.7%) involved men. The mean age was 71.53±6.2 years. The most common perpetrators were unknown or unrelated individuals (n=105, 38.2%), followed by friends or neighbors (n=90, 32.7%). Violence most frequently occurred in the home or its immediate surroundings (n=143, 52%), followed by streets, parks, and other public outdoor areas (n=69, 25.1%). Domestic violence accounted for 21.5% of cases. Neglect was identified in 19 cases (6.9%). Isolated physical violence was the most common form of violence (n=238, 86.5%). The injuries were life-threatening in 21 cases (7.6%), while bone fractures were documented in 78 cases (28.4%).

Specific legal regulations should be implemented to better protect older adults and support their participation in social life. Additionally, comprehensive strategies should be developed to address violence against older adults both within and outside the family setting. A multilevel, integrated approach is needed to improve prevention and intervention efforts through the identification of individuals at risk of perpetrating or experiencing violence.