Victimisation of the vulnerable older rural resident
Victimisation of the vulnerable older rural resident Book Section
Rural Victims of Crime
- Author(s): Blundell, Barbara, Moir, Emily, Warren, Amy
- Secondary Author(s): Hale, Rachel, Harkness, Alistair
- Published: 2022
- Publisher: Routledge
- ISBN: 9781003132691
Abstract: The abuse and mistreatment of older people, or elder abuse, is estimated to affect up to 15.7 percent of community-dwelling older people in high- and middle-income countries and is more often than not perpetrated by a family member. However, true prevalence rates are likely to be higher, as older adults tend to under-report instances of interpersonal violence, especially when perpetrated by family members. There are many factors that amplify an older person’s risk of abuse, including gender, physical and cognitive impairments, past trauma, shared living situations, carer stress, social isolation, language barriers and ageism. Building upon criminological theories and the crime triangle, this chapter explores how older people living in rural and remote areas could be potentially vulnerable due to a lack of protective mechanisms exacerbated by social and geographic isolation and difficulties accessing support and legal services. Incorporating data collected within several studies in the Australian context, this chapter canvasses the distinctive nature of elder abuse in rural, regional and remote locations, also acknowledging the different experiences of older Indigenous people.