The Mummy Dementia Blog: Abuse - Article 11

Monday, 19 September 2016

Abuse - Article 11 - Sexual Abuse

Sexual Abuse of the Elderly is understudied and rarely understood. Victims of elder sexual abuse frequently have medical conditions that cause memory loss, confusion, or problems with communication. Sexual Abuse of the Elderly is an aspect of elder maltreatment that can involve multiple forms of abuse.

It can include types of elder physical abuse and emotional abuse.

Furthermore, it can be difficult to seek justice for Sexual Abuse of the Elderly.

Sexual Abuse of the Elderly is defined as any unwanted sexual conduct against a person over the age of 60.

Sexual Abuse of the Elderly may cause harm by tricking, manipulating, or coercing the elder person into undesired sexual contact. This includes sexual contact with an elderly person that is unable to communicate consent or disapproval.

In a recent study approximately 67% of Sexual Abuse of the Elderly abusers were family members. Another study, it was estimated 12.2% of Sexual Abuse of the Elderly victims were assaulted within their own home. Approximately 14.6% of Sexual Abuse of the Elderly victims were assaulted in the sexual offender’s home. The largest percentage of Sexual Abuse of the Elderly, around 70.7% of cases, occurred within nursing homes.

Indicators of Sexual Abuse of the Elderly can be both physical and behavioural, including:

New emergence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

New difficulty sitting or walking

Pelvic injury

Bruises on inner thighs or around the genital area

Anal or genital pain, bleeding, or irritation

Bloody, torn, or stained undergarments

Extreme agitation

Withdrawal from social interactions

Panic attacks, or emerging post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms

Inappropriate, aggressive, or unusual sexual behaviour

Inappropriate or unusual behaviour, appearing as a sex-role relationship, between the victim and the elder sexual abuse suspect

Suicide attempts

Only about 30% of all Sexual Abuse of the Elderly victims, over the age of 65, report their abusers to the police.

Females are 6 times more likely than males to experience Sexual Abuse of the Elderly.

The majority of Sexual Abuse of the Elderly victims, roughly 83.3%, live in nursing homes or adult care facilities.

While 83.3% of Sexual Abuse of the Elderly victims live in some form of institutional care facility, 26.8% of those victims experienced the actual act of sexual abuse within a family home or the perpetrator’s home.

Approximately 76.2% of Sexual Abuse of the Elderly cases have at least one witness.

In 81% of Sexual Abuse of the Elderly cases, the perpetrator was the actual caregiver to the elderly person.

If Sexual Abuse of the Elderly is suspected, it is important to contact the relevant officials or your local safeguarding older peoples team for further investigation.