Abuse of Older Men

Learn the causes of—and consequences from—elder abuse of men

For the most part, often only women are considered the victims of elder abuse. However, men are also subject to this disturbing social problem. Abuse of Older Men examines the diverse aspects of this surprisingly widespread issue that includes sexual abuse, abuse by intimates, and benign neglect in the health care field, as well as effective treatment strategies. This unique resource provides the latest research and crucial discussions of why the problem is often invisible, under-studied, and under-treated. Detailed explorations include risk assessment, differential detection of abuse of one gender over the other, the risk of abandonment, economic exploitation, and the issues of older men who had been abused in childhood.

In the past, elder abuse literature has—quite correctly—mainly focused on the abuse of women, who represent the majority of older persons. Abuse of Older Men expands the discussion of this distressing social challenge to include the other gender, reviewing the different types of abuse and the reasons why it is not readily apparent in today’s society. This compelling text examines in detail the causes and consequences of elder abuse of men. The under-reporting of abuse is addressed, along with suggestions on ways to better approach various problems. This insightful resource is extensively referenced and provides tables to clearly present data.

Issues discussed in Abuse of Older Men include:

• intimate partner abuse perpetrated against older men
• sexual abuse of older men in nursing homes
• the impact of gender on the reporting of elder abuse
• neglectful aspects of osteoporosis in older men
• past relationships that increase the risk of the neglect of older fathers
• news accounts that repost the frequency and types of abuse against men
• identifying and treating victims
• societal forces that affect older men’s risk of mistreatment
• recommendations for structuring services to better meet victim’s needs
• the social construction of manhood as an important factor in understanding the abuse of older men

Abuse of Older Men provides crucial information practitioners, educators, researchers, and students in social work, nursing, medicine, law, gerontology, adult protective services, criminal justice, sociology, psychology, domestic violence, counseling, ethics, public policy, and aging networks.