NCJ Number
147572
Journal
Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: (1993) Pages: 59-76
Date Published
1993
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Using two national data sources, the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and the Comparative Homicide File (CHF), this study documented trends and patterns of lethal and nonlethal forms of violent victimization against the elderly and how these patterns compared to victimization of younger people.
Abstract
Incidence rates of nonlethal forms of personal crime victimization against the elderly were taken from the NCVS for the years 1979 through 1986 and 1987 through 1990. Homicide rates were obtained from the CHF for the years 1976 through 1980 and 1981 through 1987. It was found that elderly victims of nonlethal violence increasingly reported that their assailants were relatives over the past two decades. Older Americans, however, still appeared to be proportionately more vulnerable to nonlethal forms of violence committed by strangers. Equal numbers of elderly homicide victims were killed by strangers, acquaintances, or relatives. While elderly homicide victims were more often killed during the commission of another felony, such as a robbery, the number of victims killed during a conflict situation was not much lower than that of felony-related homicide. In contrast, those under 65 years of age were most likely to be killed by an acquaintance in a conflict situation. Consistent with other studies documenting a negative relationship between age and victimization, the survey found that persons 65 years of age and older were no more likely than other age groups to experience both lethal and nonlethal forms of violence. When acts of violence did not escalate to the point of becoming lethal, elderly and young persons appeared equally vulnerable to crime perpetrated by strangers. 19 references, 5 endnotes, and 4 tables