How to Recognize Abusers

• Many abusers have a prior criminal record
• Approximately 50% have drug or alcohol-related issues
• Many have no means of support aside from the alleged victim’s housing, pension, social security checks
• May not want victim interviewed alone and appear controlling

Who Are Abusers?

• Most elder abuse is perpetrated by a family member, caregiver or anyone providing care—including professionals.
• If an elder abuse victim lives in a long-term care facility, he or she is most likely to experience physical and emotional abuse by a nurse’s assistant.
• Abusers are typically people who hold a position of trust, with the opportunity to know the victim’s physical or mental vulnerabilities.

Abusers may be:

• Spouse, child, or relative
• Neighbor or friend
• Caregiver (paid or unpaid)
• Guardian, conservator, or agent under power of attorney
• Other trusted professionals or service providers
• Any person in a position of trust or authority

General Traits

Many perpetrators of elder abuse:

• Have no means of support aside from the alleged victims’ housing, pension, and social security checks
• Have mental illness or disabilities themselves
• May appear controlling

Additional Traits

A 2008 study funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) which included abused women in Rhode Island whose perpetrators had been prosecuted, revealed that:

• Almost 50% of the perpetrators had a prior criminal record

Another 2008 study conducted funded by the NIJ found that:

• Approximately 50% of perpetrators had been using drugs or alcohol when the abuse occurred
• Nearly 1/3 of the perpetrators had a history of mental illness
• Over 1/3 of the perpetrators were unemployed
• Almost 1/2 of the perpetrators were socially isolated