CDC Violence Against Older People on the Rise
CDC: Violence Against Older People on the Rise Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.
The report estimates that the rate of nonfatal assaults against men 60 and older increased by 75.4 percent between 2002 and 2016. The rate of nonfatal assaults against women of that age rose by 35.4 percent from 2007 to 2016.
Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. The homicide rate for men grew by 7.1 percent from 2010 to 2016, the CDC says. But the homicide rate for women 60 and older went down, by 9.9 percent, from 2002 to 2016. Fifty-eight percent of the assailants were related to or knew the victim. For homicides, 46 percent of crimes were committed by a spouse or partner, parent, child, relative or friend, the CDC says. “I think that this is the tip of the iceberg,” Julie Schoen, deputy director of the National Center on Elder Abuse, said of the assault data. People are afraid to report abuse, she said. “People are so afraid if they call out a family member or caregiver they will lose their independence,” she told AARP. “If you lose something and your caregiver can’t stay there, you can lose your home.” Although the aging of America’s population gets a lot of attention, the CDC and others say violence prevention for this group deserves more awareness. The annual average growth rate in nonfatal assaults among older adults, per 100,000 population, is growing faster than the population growth rate, lead researcher Joseph Logan told AARP.
Physical Abuse Against Older Adults on the Rise
Advocates give advice on protecting yourself and others
GETTY IMAGES As the number of Americans 60 and older rises, the rate of violence against them is rising even faster, according to (CDC).The report estimates that the rate of nonfatal assaults against men 60 and older increased by 75.4 percent between 2002 and 2016. The rate of nonfatal assaults against women of that age rose by 35.4 percent from 2007 to 2016.
Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. The homicide rate for men grew by 7.1 percent from 2010 to 2016, the CDC says. But the homicide rate for women 60 and older went down, by 9.9 percent, from 2002 to 2016. Fifty-eight percent of the assailants were related to or knew the victim. For homicides, 46 percent of crimes were committed by a spouse or partner, parent, child, relative or friend, the CDC says. “I think that this is the tip of the iceberg,” Julie Schoen, deputy director of the National Center on Elder Abuse, said of the assault data. People are afraid to report abuse, she said. “People are so afraid if they call out a family member or caregiver they will lose their independence,” she told AARP. “If you lose something and your caregiver can’t stay there, you can lose your home.” Although the aging of America’s population gets a lot of attention, the CDC and others say violence prevention for this group deserves more awareness. The annual average growth rate in nonfatal assaults among older adults, per 100,000 population, is growing faster than the population growth rate, lead researcher Joseph Logan told AARP.