Course of Domestic Abuse Among Chicago’s Elderly

The examination of the course of abuse found that victims from the police sample (elderly victims who had been visited by trained domestic violence/senior citizen victimization officers in the Chicago Police Department) were more likely to have at least one incident of subsequent abuse compared to those from the community sample (elderly victims who experienced no police intervention); however, for those in the police sample, the number of forms of abuse that occurred repeatedly decreased. In addition, those in the police sample were more likely to have engaged in protective behaviors or service seeking than those in the community sample. These findings suggest that intervention by officers trained to assist elder abuse victims can lead to increased engagement in protective behaviors and ultimately reduction in the number of frequently occurring forms of abuse. The sample consisted of 1,795 elderly residents for whom researchers could identify victimization status. In-depth interviews were conducted with 328 elderly residents from three sample groups: 159 community nonvictims, 121 community victims, and 48 victims who received police intervention. All participants were current residents of Chicago, ages 60 and over. Researchers conducted phone interviews with a survey instrument designed to assess victimization. The survey included questions about various characteristics and risk factors associated with both victims and perpetrators of abuse and/or neglect, specific types of abuse, and victims’ protective behaviors. Victimization was examined twice over a 10-month period in order to assess the course of abuse over time. The effects of police intervention were also examined.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.