Elder Victimization Elder victimization is an important subset of crime. While people age 65 and older experience the same crimes as the rest of the population, they are at increased risk for certain types of victimization, including financial victimization, neglect, and physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Researchers estimate that approximately 10% of the population will be victimized after the age of 65; however, studies have also shown that elder victimization is highly underestimated. Persons with degenerative diseases or cognitive disabilities—including­­­­­ dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s—or who are living in institutional settings, such as hospitals or nursing homes, are often not included in survey results. Addition- ally, studies have demonstrated that while elderly individuals are most commonly maltreated by family members or ac- quaintances, violent victimizations reported to the police are most commonly perpetrated by strangers. Maltreatment is not always a criminal offense, but the intimate nature of many of these victimizations means that elderly victims are less likely to report offenses committed by someone they know.

Trends From 1995 to 2015, the rate of violent victimization against individuals age 65 and older declined about 24%, from 6.8 violent victimizations per 1,000 individuals to 5.2 in 2015. In comparison, the total rate of violent victimization declined by 74% between 1995 and 2015, from 70.7 per 1,000 individuals to 18.6.A

In 2015, the rate of violent victimization against women age 65 and older was both higher than the rate for men in the same age group and 2.4x greater than the previous year’s rate. However, violent victimization rates for this age group have not been consistently greater for men or for women over the past 20 years.A In contrast, researchers estimate that elderly women experience maltreatment more frequently than men.E ViolentViolent Elder Victimization VictimizationA (Rate ratePer per 1,000 1,000 Individuals) people 75 75 Overall Population 60 70.7 Age 65+ 45 28.4 Did You Know? 30 18.6 Almost 50% of individuals with dementia are 15 B 6.8 abused or neglected by their caregivers. 3.6 5.2 0 Injuries to older adults from violent crime 19951995 19971997 19991999 20012001 20032003 20052005 20072007 20092009 20112011 20132013 20152015 account for more than $5.3 billion annually in C Violent VictimizationViolent (Age Elder 65+) Vic7miza7onViolent Victimization By Sex (Population Estimate) direct medical care. Individuals age 65+ are more than 30% more (Rate Per 1,00 Individuals) A Violent Elder Victimization by Sex likely to lose money to financial fraud, compared rate per 1,000 people to individuals in their 40s.D 12 12 Younger elders have a higher risk of victimization, 10 Men 10.3 possibly because they are more likely to live with Women 8 a spouse or adult children—two groups that are 6.3 6.7 often abusers.E 6 Individuals who were abused earlier in life are at 4 greater risk of victimization as they age.E 4.3 1.6 2 3.2 Individuals with less social support are more likely to be victims of abuse as they age.F 0 19951995 19971997 19991999 20012001 20032003 20052005 20072007 20092009 20112011 20132013 20152015

Men Women 2017 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Resource Guide: Crime and Victimization Fact Sheets Current Data on Elder Victimization

Although the violent victimization rate of individuals age 65 In 2015, 51% of violent crime victimizations against people and older is less than the national rate, crimes against this older than 65 involved victims who did not know their age group are the least reported. In 2015, 45% of surveyed perpetrator; 44% were committed by an acquaintance, victims of violent crime over age 65 also reported that crime relative, or intimate partner.A to the police.A However, the National Center for Elder Abuse estimates that less than 5% of individuals over the age of 65 Violent Elder VictimizationA report their victimization to the police.G by victim relationship to perpetrator

Stranger (51%) Violent Elder Victimization Acquaintance (26%) Reported to Police A (well known or casual) Other relative (9%) 240,758 Did not report (55%) Intimate partner (9%) victimizations Reported (45%) Unknown/Not specified (5%)

Residents of nursing homes are also vulnerable to abuse, neglect, or exploitation by nursing home staff and fellow A 2009 study found that the vast majority of elder residents. A study of nursing home facilities found that more maltreatment is committed by someone familiar to the than 50% of staff admitted to engaging in physical violence, victim. Emotional and sexual maltreatment are most mental abuse, or neglect of older patients. Furthermore, frequently committed by either a partner, spouse, or nearly 1/4 of the 190,592 complaints filed against nursing acquaintance; neglect by a child or grandchild; and physical homes in 2012 constituted resident-on-resident physical or E maltreatment by a partner or spouse. sexual abuse.G

E Perpetrator of Most Recent Maltreatment Types of Complaints Against Nursing HomesG by type of maltreatment

Physical abuse 29 50% 25 60% Spouse/ 57 Physical or sexual abuse Partner 40 22 28 by another resident

25 Psychological abuse 21 19 Acquaintance 40 14 23 Gross neglect

19 Financial exploitation 7 Children/ 10 Grandchildren 0 39 Sexual abuse 7

13 9 Other relative 12 7 Emotional D Financial Fraud and Fraud Susceptibility in the United States, (Applied Physical Research and Consulting, 2013), https://www.saveandinvest.org/sites/de- 9 Sexual fault/files/Financial-Fraud-And-Fraud-Susceptibility-In-The-United-States. Stranger 3 pdf#page=18 3 Neglect 0 E R. Acierno et al., “The National Elder Mistreatment Study,” Am J Public Health vol. 100, 2(2010): 292-97, https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/ grants/226456.pdf F E. Laumann, S. Leitsch, and L. Waite, “Elder Mistreatment in the United States,” J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci vol. 63, 4(2008): S248–S254 G National Center on Elder Abuse, https://ncea.acl.gov/whatwedo/research/ SOURCES statistics.html#08; Abuse of Residents in Long-Term Care Facility, 2013, A Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, Concatenat- https://ncea.acl.gov/resources/docs/Abuse-LongTermCare-Facilities-2012. ed File, 1995-2015, (U.S. Department of Justice) pdf B A. Wiglesworth et al., “Screening for Abuse and Neglect of People with Dementia,” J Am Geriatrics Soc vol. 58, 3(2010): 493-500 C X. Q. Dong, “Medical Implications of Elder Abuse and Neglect,” Clinics in Geriatric Medicine vol. 21, 2(2005): 293–313