Estudos e Pesquisas em Psicologia
ISSN 1808-4281
PINTO, Francine Nathálie Ferraresi Rodrigues; BARHAM, Elizabeth Joan ALBUQUERQUE, Paloma Pegolo de. Elderly victims of violence: sociodemographic factors and subsidies for future interventions. Estud. pesqui. psicol. []. 2013, 13, 3, pp.1159-1181. ISSN 1808-4281.
Research in psychology indicates that the prevalence of elder abuse is higher in the domestic sphere than in other contexts, but it is under-reported. As such, the identification of social indicators associated with this form of violence is needed. This study aimed to compare the sociodemographic profile of elderly people who suffered abuse with data for the general population of elderly people. We analyzed 712 medical records registered in a hotline service in a city in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The results indicate that most of the cases involved neglect (43%) or abandonment (42%). The profile of the elderly who suffered abuse was significantly different from the general population of seniors with respect to their educational level, marital status and ethnicity. The primary perpetrators were their adult children. These data provide information that can contribute to the preparation of interventions to reduce the prevalence of elder abuse.
: Elderly; Violence; Social Indicators.