Description

Filling a gap on the existing literature on elder abuse and gender, Gender Issues in Elder Abuse analyzes the ways in which gender is central to the occurrence, detection, and prevention of elder abuse. The authors identify the gendered nature of elder abuse and contend that most elderly victims are women and that in domestic and in institutional settings women abuse women. They also argue that a significant number of older women are abused by their sons, a significant number of older men are abused by their female partners and daughters, and abuse occurs by both sexes of nonrelatives and noncarers. This groundbreaking volume considers why much of the research on elder abuse has failed to engage with these facts. The authors call for a reframing of the issue of elder abuse, specifically in professional guidelines for dealing with abuse which, they insist, should include gender awareness. They argue for elder abuse to be considered as a human rights issue rather than a private problem. This book will be essential reading for academics, students, and professionals in social work, social policy, women′s studies, and gerontology.