Skip Navigation



BJSW Advance Access published online on March 23, 2007
British Journal of Social Work, doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcm022
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
37/3/491    most recent
bcm022v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Walsh, C. A.
Right arrow Articles by Lai, D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved

Article

Violence Across the Lifespan: Interconnections Among Forms of Abuse as Described by Marginalized Canadian Elders and their Care-givers

Christine A. Walsh 1 *, Jenny Ploeg 2, Lynne Lohfeld 3, Jaclyn Horne 4, Harriet MacMillan 5, and Daniel Lai 6

1 Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
2 Associate Professor at the School of Nursing of McMaster University
3 Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University
4 Masters of Social Work student at the University of Calgary
5 Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, and Pediatrics at McMaster University
6 Professor of Social Work and Alberta Heritage Health Scholar at the University of Calgary

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Christine A. Walsh, E-mail: cwalsh{at}ucalgary.ca


  Abstract

Elder abuse is recognized as a major problem, with profound effects on the health and quality of life of older persons. In our aging population, elder abuse represents an escalating clinical issue for social workers and health care professionals who provide care to older people. A major gap in our examination of elder abuse is the potential contribution and application of knowledge developed within research derived from other forms of family violence. This paper explores the interconnections among various forms of violence across the lifespan, and the experiences voiced by marginalized elders and their care providers. We interviewed seventy-seven rarely consulted older adults and forty-three formal and informal care-givers of older adults in focus groups in Ontario and Alberta, Canada. Study findings revealed four major themes that describe interconnections among types of abuse: (i) intergenerational cycles of abuse; (ii) violence across the lifespan; (iii) exposure to multiple subtypes of elder abuse; and (iv) ongoing spouse abuse that shifted into elder abuse. The results from this study indicate that victims often ‘suffer in silence’ and cultural factors, ageism and gender are ubiquitous to elder abuse. Recommendations to reduce elder abuse include education, formal and informal supports and services.

Keywords: aging, elder abuse, marginalized elders, family violence.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.