Abused Elders Who Seek Legal Recourse Against Their Adult Offspring:

Abstract

This paper reports an exploratory study of elders who use the legal system in resonse to adult offspring perpetrated abuse. When compared with agency-identified abused elders, those using the legal system were younger and more likely to be of African-American descent. The abusive adult offspring were overwhelmingly male and had a history of mental illness and/or substance abuse. The elder parent was likely to be living with the perpetrator at the time of the abuse and making substantial contributions to his welfare while getting little in return. The elders had a rich network of social and organizational contacts. Implications for policy are discussed. Abused elders are not a homogeneous population, and further attention should be directed to those who take the active stance of utilizing legal services in response to their victimization.