Elder Abuse Victims Do Not Report

By Margaret Dore, Esq., MBA

In both Australia and the US, elder abuse victims do not report abuse. For example, in Victoria, it is estimated that there are more than 20,000 unreported cases of abuse, neglect and exploitation each year and approximately 100,000 in Australia nationwide.[1] Meanwhile, in the US, it’s estimated that only 1 in 14 cases ever comes to the attention of the authorities.”[2] In another study, it was 1 out of 25 cases.[3] Reasons for the lack of reporting include:

Many who suffer from abuse . . . don’t want to report their own child as an abuser.[4]

Footnotes

[1]  Facts on Elder Abuse-Australia, available at  http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/OlderPersons/Submissions/ElderAbusePreventionAssociation.pdf
[2]  US Nat’l Center on Elder Abuse, http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/Library/Data/
[3]  Id.
[4]  “Adult Abuse,” District of Columbia, Department of Human Services, as of April 5, 2016.