Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect最新文献

This study examines what healthcare professionals, students and older adults believe about elder financial abuse in Greece. Participants responded to two vignettes by choosing which characteristics indicate elder financial abuse. Greeks are less likely to perceive financial exploitation when the perpetrator is a close family member, but are more likely to recognize it when perpetrated by paid caregivers or more distant (male) relatives. Signing over the victim's property to another is less likely to be perceived as elder abuse than is the taking of money from bank accounts, even though the property is often worth more than what is taken from the account. Although there are some differences in perception between healthcare professionals and others in Greek society, these (and other anomalies) make it difficult to accurately report and prevent elder financial abuse in Greece.

Financial exploitation (FE) is a complex problem influenced by many factors. This article introduces two novel methods for assessment of FE vulnerability: (1) performance-based measures of financial skills using web-based simulations of common financial tasks; (2) scam vulnerability measures based on credibility ratings of common scam scenarios. Older adults who were male, younger, Hispanic, more educated, with higher incomes performed better on the simulated financial tasks. Better performance was also related to higher cognitive function and numeracy, and more experience with technology. On the scenario-based measures, older adults who were male, younger, African American, less educated, and lower income showed higher FE vulnerability. Higher scam vulnerability was also related to poorer performance on the simulated financial tasks, lower cognitive function, less experience with technology, more financial conflict/anxiety, more impulsivity, and more stranger-initiated FE. Findings indicate that these novel measures show promise as valid indicators of vulnerability to FE.

The search for adequate ways to address elder harm and abuse has become increasingly evident in public discourse. There is a growing consensus that integrated, multi-disciplinary approaches are needed, especially because older victims are often hesitant to resort to legal interventions. This evaluation study aimed to assess the benefits and challenges of a pilot scheme in Aotearoa New Zealand employing restorative processes to respond to elder harm and to discuss implications for future practice. Thirty interviews were conducted with professionals, older persons and family members. Our findings show that restorative encounters, in particular circle processes, provided a safe environment to engage honestly with each other and for mutual understanding and trust to emerge. The collaborative relationship of key stakeholders was a notable strength of the pilot. However, the major challenge in using restorative practices was dealing adequately with long and complex histories of family conflicts.

It is recognized worldwide that evidence on what effectively prevents abuse of at-risk adults (including older people) is lacking. The purpose of this paper is to make an explicit, contemporary proposal as to why front-line workers and policy-makers interested in preventing the abuse of at-risk adults should adopt an opportunity-focused, problem-oriented policing framework from criminology. This paper will first position the proposal within the current context of responses to the abuse of at-risk adults. Following this, the paper will outline how the problem-oriented policing framework can develop targeted, collaborative, sustainable, and measurable prevention strategies intended to remove the opportunity for specific examples of abuse of at-risk adults.

This study adopted an experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of an anti-scam education program for older adults. Participants in the experimental group (n = 55) first participated in an anti-scam board game and then joined another board game featuring local tea restaurants two weeks later, whereas such order was reversed for the control group (n = 54). Compared with the control group, participants in the experimental group reported significant increases in their self-efficacy in fraud prevention and awareness of scam situations, and a significant decrease in perceived susceptibility to scams immediately and two weeks after the intervention, demonstrating the immediate and the short-term effects of the anti-scam education program in reducing fraud victimization risk of older adults.

This study investigates the influence of psychological elder abuse on life satisfaction levels in Thailand. This study also analyses the stress-buffering effect of social participation on the life satisfaction levels of Thai mentally abused elderly. Elder abuse has been proven to dramatically reduce Thai elders' levels of life satisfaction as their function in society shrinks owing to ageism. As a result, individuals are more likely to lose their independence and status and be forced to rely on others, increasing the danger of abuse. Elder abuse has a more significant negative impact on life satisfaction levels among Thai older women. Nonetheless, the mentally abused elderly who participate in social activities are happier than those who do not. Thai elders who live with their daughters are more satisfied in life than those who do not, but living with adult offspring does not assist psychologically abused elders in escaping their psychological suffering.

Technology-facilitated abuse (TFA) is of growing concern and is a form of elder abuse. There is limited TFA research in general population samples in the U.S. among older adults. Researchers conducted a survey of behavior-based forms of TFA experiences in a nationally representative sample of n = 1,011 U.S. adults ages 50 and older. Within this sample, 63.8% of respondents reported some experience of TFA during their lifetime. Latent class analyses were applied to understand the pattern of older adults' exposure to ten different forms of TFA resulting in three classes distinguished by the number of different TFA types experienced: low TFA (55%), low-mid TFA (40%) and high TFA (5%). Socio-economic characteristics associated with these TFA profiles, as well as perpetrator relationship, post-TFA behaviors, and resulting harms associated with the TFA experiences, were examined to inform research, prevention, and intervention activities. Attention across different sectors to TFA among older adults is needed.

Using a mix-method design, we examined participants' willingness to respond to mass marketing scams (MMS). In Experiment 1, we examined the effect of age (young versus older) and letter style ("hot" versus "cold") on the intention to respond. The intention of responding was negatively associated with risk (p < .001) and having at least a high school education was positively associated with perception of benefits (b = .684, p < .001). In Experiment 2, we examined reward sensitivity on the intention to respond by manipulating reward amounts (low versus high) and the presence of an activation fee. The presence of an activation fee decreased intent to contact, but percentages remained high (25.75%). Analyses of qualitative data indicated that risk and benefit were both predicted by perceived self-efficacy. The results indicate that consumers' beliefs about their ability to control the outcomes of future interactions affected how they behaved when provided with MMS materials.