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Stalking: A Tactic of Elder Abuse  


Author:  Elaina Roberts.; Keeley Frank.


Source: Volume 11, Number 02, Fall 2018 , pp.61-66(6)




Family & Intimate Partner Violence Quarterly

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Abstract: 

In the United States, one in ten individuals over the age of 65 will experience some form of elder abuse. As reported by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, alarmingly, the number of elderly persons who experience elder abuse in the form of stalking is on the rise. Perpetrators of elder abuse are most likely to be family member or acquaintances who aim to frighten, isolate and exploit their victims. Such victims often face barriers to reporting these crimes and to accessing support. The consequences can be deadly: abused elders are three times more likely to die prematurely than elders who are not abused. Authors Elaina Roberts and Keeley Frank remind readers that it is crucial to believe older adults when they report elder abuse and/or stalking. Proper investigation and corroboration of elder abuse is imperative to ensure victims to access the assistance they need to ultimately obtain relief, remediation, and recompense.

Keywords: Working with older adult victims of stalking; Older Americans Act (OAA)

Affiliations:  1: National Network to End Domestic Violence; 2: National Center for Victims of Crime.

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