India Ranks High On Elder Abuse

The study showed that there is a rise in cases of elderly abuse in Delhi and Mumbai. In this bleak scenario, Jaipur and Shimla showed some hope, as abuse there amounts to only 1.67 percent and 2.99 percent, respectively.

Abuse was reported more from the family members, with daughter in law and son emerging as the major abusers. Abuse by daughter-in-law was reported most in Delhi (100 percent) followed by Hyderabad (89 percent), and Bhopal (87 percent). Half of the elderly from the lower socio economic strata reported facing abuse due to lack of emotional support. Last year among the elderly from higher socio economic strata, property issues appeared as the most common context for abuse.

More than one third each of the elderly felt that elder abuse constitutes emotional abuse (37 percent), showing disrespect (36 percent) and economic abuse (35 percent). Nearly one fifth of the elderly felt neglected with 20 percent of the elderly in the age group of 60-69 years feeling so. 72 percent of the elderly felt neglected sometimes while 17 percent felt neglected every day. 44 percent of the elderly identified disrespect as the common form of abuse, 30 percent identified it as ‘neglect' and 26 percent identified it as verbal abuse.

The report also suggested that the most common allegations faced by the elderly are burglary, molestation and criminal acts.