Elder Abuse: A Curse of Life

In India, elder abuse has been increasing as proof of break of Indian family system, values, loss of respect, love and bonding between the family member, parents and offsprings. In fact, it goes unreported more often and remains largely hidden from the public for various reasons linked to culture and circumstance. Therefore, this paper is an attempt to explore the nature of elder abuse, extent of abuse and the reasons which contribute to elder abuse. The study reveals that out of total 210 respondents, only 72 respondents who reported that they have been abused by their family members. Among the abused, the majority of the respondents are verbally abused by their family members. But it is found that verbal abuse has been directed more towards women than men. The study also significantly reveals that economic dependence, poverty and health problems are the main reasons for abuse.