Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Criminal Justice and Criminology Dissertations 8-16-2013 Victimization of the Elderly: An Application of Lifestyles/Routine Activities Theory Christina N. Policastro Georgia State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cj_diss Recommended Citation Policastro, Christina N., "Victimization of the Elderly: An Application of Lifestyles/Routine Activities Theory." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2013. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cj_diss/1 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Criminal Justice and Criminology Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PERMISSION TO BORROW In presenting this dissertation as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree from Georgia State University, I agree that the Library of the University shall make it available for inspection and circulation in accordance with its regulations governing materials of this type. I agree that permission to quote from, to copy from, or to publish this dissertation may be granted by the author or, in his or her absence, the professor under whose direction it was written or, in his or her absence, by the Dean of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. Such quoting, copying, or publishing must be solely for scholarly purposes and must not involve potential financial gain. It is understood that any copying from or publication of this dissertation which involves potential gain will not be allowed without written permission of the author. ____________________________________ Signature of Author NOTICE TO BORROWERS All dissertations deposited in the Georgia State University Library must be used only in accordance with the stipulations prescribed by the author in the preceding statement. The author of this dissertation is: Christina Policastro 3405 Sweetwater Road Apt 1037 Lawrenceville, GA 30044 The director of this dissertation is: Dr. Brian K. Payne Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Georgia State University Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology 1201 Urban Life Building Atlanta, GA 30303 Users of this dissertation not regularly enrolled as students at Georgia State University are required to attest acceptance of the preceding stipulations by signing below. Libraries borrowing this dissertation for the use of their patrons are required to see that each user records here the information requested. Name of User Address Date Type of use (Examination only or copying) VICTIMIZATION OF THE ELDERLY: AN APPLICATION OF LIFESTYLES/ROUTINE ACTIVITIES THEORY BY CHRISTINA POLICASTRO A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies of Georgia State University GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY 2013 Copyright by Christina Policastro 2013 ACCEPTANCE This dissertation was prepared under the direction of the candidate’s Dissertation Committee. It has been approved and accepted by all members of that committee, and it has been accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice and Criminology in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies of Georgia State University. Dissertation Chair: Dr. Brian K. Payne Committee: Dr. Leah E. Daigle Dr. Mary A. Finn Dr. Sheryl Strasser Electronic Version Approved: Mary Beth Walker, Dean Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Georgia State University August 2013 DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my husband, Chris Policastro, for all of his support, encouragement, and love. I never would have made it through graduate school without him and he definitely deserves an award for putting up with me during this process. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the many individuals who have contributed to this dissertation. First, I want thank my major advisor and mentor, Dr. Brian K. Payne, for all of his support and guidance. I sincerely appreciate your patience, as well as all of the time you have dedicated to me. I would also like to thank Dr. Leah E. Daigle, Dr. Mary A. Finn, and Dr. Sheryl Strasser for serving on my committee and for all of their valuable input. I know this has been a time-consuming endeavor and I am truly appreciative of their commitment, as well as honored to have worked with them. In addition, I would like to thank the entire faculty of the Criminal Justice and Criminology Department at Georgia State University. The faculty has put a tremendous amount of effort and work into creating a successful PhD program and have been an endless source of support and assistance throughout my time in the program. I also want to express my gratitude to my cohort and fellow students. I was very fortunate to have gone through the PhD program with a wonderful group of individuals. I would especially like to thank Sadie Mummert and Beverly Crank for their unwavering friendship and encouragement. I cannot thank them enough for answering all of my panicked phone calls, reading drafts of my work, and just listening when I needed to talk. I am also very thankful for the constant support of my mother and father, John and Sherri McGlocklin. They have never doubted that I would achieve anything I set my mind to, even when I had doubts myself. I also want to express my appreciation for my grandparents, Alton and Polly McGlocklin, who have also been a major source of encouragement. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank my husband, Chris, for always being there for me through the best and the worst of times. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ................................................................................................................. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................. vii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................ xiii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ xv ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... xvi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................ 7 The Study of Victimization Among the Elderly ............................................................7 Defining Elder Abuse ...........................................................................................11 Physical abuse ............................................................................................12 Sexual abuse ..............................................................................................15 Psychological abuse ..................................................................................15 Financial abuse ..........................................................................................17 Neglect .......................................................................................................19 An Integrated Definition of Elder Abuse ..............................................................20 The Extent of Elder Abuse ....................................................................................21 Traditional Explanations for Elder Abuse ..................................................................25 Intraindividual Explanations .................................................................................26 Victim/offender psychological and emotional problems ..........................27 Victim/offender impairment .....................................................................29 Offender alcohol abuse .............................................................................32 Dependency............................................................................................................33 viii Stress .....................................................................................................................35 Social Isolation ......................................................................................................37 Intergenerational Transmission of Violence ..........................................................39 Theoretical Framework for the Current Study .............................................................40 Routine Activities Theory .....................................................................................42 Lifestyle-Exposure Theory ...................................................................................47 Integrated Lifestyles/Routine Activities Theory ....................................................51 Summary of Empirical Support for the L/RAT Framework ..................................53 Lifestyles/Routine Activities Theory and Elder Abuse ...............................................56 Exposure to Motivated Offenders ..........................................................................57 Proximity to Motivated Offenders ........................................................................61 Target Suitability ..................................................................................................64