More Than Wife Abuse That Has Gone Old: A Conceptual Model for Violence against the Aged in Canada and the US

Violence against the Aged (VAA) can take on the form of psychological, physical, sexual, economic abuse or neglect. The under-reporting of VAA is a major problem, although both Canadian and USA studies show that the consequences of this crime are very serious. Moreover, although the rates may be stable (5-10%), the numbers are rising due to the aging of the Canadian and USA populations. In this paper, I introduce an integrated conceptual model for predicting VAA, which goes beyond intimate partner violence. The model also suggests that struggles against VAA must simultaneously occur at the personal, social and structural dimensions.