[Risk of violence in old age: arguments for a social science perspective]

In the paper presented gerontological and criminological aspects are combined and the necessity of a geronto victimology is claimed. It is argued that threat by violence and criminality is a specific challenge for older adults. Older people are threatened by violence in a different way compared with younger ones, they suffer more from the violence experienced, and they cope differently with this kind of stress. With respect to the so-called "victimization-fear-paradox" the need for an interdisciplinary approach is demonstrated. The discussion of different forms of violence against the elderly in the context of care leads to a plea for an extended conceptualization of violence. In closing, possibilities of intervention and perspectives for further research are discussed.