SOCIOLOGY

Neglect and Abuse

Neglect and Abuse

Introduction

Of all the facets of gerontology, elder abuse and neglect is one of the least well understood? Even the definitions of abuse and neglect are debated and vary from locality to locality across the United States. Often the term abuse or abuse and neglect is used generically to refer to a variety of behaviors that are not strictly abuse or neglect (e.g., financial exploitation) or that do not involve a second party (e.g., self-neglect). Numbers reflecting prevalence suggest the magnitude of abuse and neglect, while recent research suggesting substantially increased death rates among those mistreated reflects its seriousness. Although neither the prevalence nor the incidence of elder mistreatment in the United States is known with any precision, the best research suggests that 2-4% of the population 65 years and older suffer abuse or neglect.

This study defines neglect as any form of lack of physical, cognitive, or affective care and support for the subject via parent or guardian. Physical care and support is based on the behavioral domain of individuals learning how to physically achieve a given task. Cognitive care and support is based off the cognitive domain of individuals learning how to mentally achieve a given task. Affective care and support is based off the affective domain of individuals learning how to emotionally achieve a given task (Department of Health, 2000a, pp. 361).

For generations abuse and neglect has affected the homes of many individuals. In the 1950's, over disciplinary measures were a matter handled behind closed doors. There were very limited means for socially defining the difference of acceptable discipline and abuse. “Social scientists and public alike became increasingly sensitive to violence due to a war in Southeast Asia, assassinations, civil disturbances, and increasing homicide rates in the 1960's”. In the late 1960's and early 1970's, Kempe and Kempe's “battered baby syndrome” and the Child Protection Act brought more awareness to the United State citizens of the actions needed to take place against abuse and neglect. Domestic violence and neglect was brought forth as a sociological issue at this time. However, the primary issue regarding abuse and neglect was the familiar silence related to such inquires. “Three factors associated with the reasoning of the silence of family violence included: lack of awareness, general acceptance, and denial”. These factors lead way for the continuum of abuse and neglect being passed on through family generations. Parents who were raised in an abusive household were commonly associated with abusing or neglecting their own children out of commonality and pattern related to what they knew as a child (Deblinger & Heflin, 1996, pp. 124).

Impact of Neglect and Abuse

Child abuse and neglect is related to social status prior, during, and after the circumstance. Several sociological issues related to various aspects of domestic violence involve: low socioeconomic status, social and structural stresses, and social isolations and low community embeddedness. Parents who associate with these social roles are commonly affected with anxiety, depression, poor self-esteem, emotional problems, substance abuse, mental illness, and ...