Child and Elder Abuse: Is It Really Different?

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In the modern society we fail to address various problems that need to be solved. Unfortunately, child and elder abuse is one of the greatest problems the world faces to day. Any kind of abuse is disgusting and unacceptable regardless of the age at which it occurs (McKnight, 2006). Any efforts of trying to evaluate what kind of abuse is worse by comparing child and elder abuse is risking the chance to name all abuse as bad (Hill, 2009). Child abuse occurs when an adult willfully mistreats a child resulting in physical, emotional or mental negative effects. These mistreatments cover a wide range of unacceptable behaviors ranging from actual physical battering; sexual abuse to neglecting a childs basic needs like food, shelter, clothes and education. Elder abuse is not less severe than child abuse. Fargo Police (2009) defines elder abuse as willful inflicting of inhuman or cruel corporal punishment or any kind of injury on an elderly person by someone who has the custody, care or who stands in a position of trust by the elder. There are various forms of elder abuse: sexual abuse; neglect; abandonment; physical abuse, self-neglect and emotional abuse (National Center on Elder Abuse, 1999, P 23).

On September 5, 2009, Henry Lee, a reporter of the San Francisco Chronicle reported a case where a woman was charged with child abuse. Her two twin nephews and a niece had been left without food for a long time and by the time they were found, they were seriously emaciated and without shoes. They were thin, weak and had sore feet because of walking bare foot for a long time and distance in search of food. The 34-year-old woman was sentenced to four years imprisonment. There was evidence that her mother was involved but the case against her is still pending. The children abused were a 13-year-old girl and her 11-year-old twin brothers who were found on March 26, 2009 walking without shoes into a local liquor store. The Night Club staff called the police who started an investigation into the details of the lives of the children. Their place of residence according to the police was a squalid backyard of a duplex on an abandoned street. The people committing the crime of child abuse are usually people known and trusted by the children as it is in this case. According to the San Francisco Police (2009) these abusers include strangers, parents, teachers, older siblings, older friends or any other person who is in control of the child. The case that has just been discussed is not an exception since the people involved were an aunt and probably the grandmother, the people who were obviously trusted by the children.

The elderly in the world today are weak and vulnerable and they need several things ranging from money, transportation to companionship but what they need most is advocacy (National Center on Elder Abuse, 2005, Pp 43-45). They need people to stand up fro them and fight for what they need and most importantly to protect them against the vice of elder abuse. Recently, Melinda Rogers (2009) of the Salt Lake Tribune reported a case where a couple was charged with abusing their elderly mother. The, 60-year-olds, was charged with abusing their 90-year-old mother who died in June this year. The Man, who was the abused womans son, was given the custody of her mother and father when they became too old to take care of themselves in 2006. He was even granted the control of their bank account which contained $40,000 in form of social security funds and other retirement benefits. His father then died in 2007 and an extra $62,241 was deposited into the joint account by the Insurance Company. The man and his wife then neglected his mother who grew thin and weak because of lack of food and water, she lost weight which resulted in renal failure and pneumonia. This incidence was reported by the staff of the hospital where the old woman had been hospitalized. When a search was done in the old womans home, there was no evidence of food since molds had already started growing in the fridge and the kitchenware was rusting. Her prescription bottles were empty and the bed was made up of a box spring and a tattered mattress that resulted in the severe bed sores the old woman was suffering from. A look at the bank statement revealed that the man had used over $100,000 for his won gain and not for the good of his parents (Rogers, 2009).

Palmer (2009) asserts that the abused elders are as helpless as the abused children. They both know their abusers to be the people they trust, rely on and love. However, they dont usually tell on them since they fear that they might lack people to take care of them. Some fear being taken to the homes for the elderly since the conditions there are worse. The people who witness are friends or neighbors who are not able to act since they lack enough evidence to charge the abusers (Hardin, 2005, Pp 8). As long as the victim doesnt comply and is willing to say the truth, the by-standers in both child and elder abuse are always tongue-tied. They are always viewed as malicious people or domestic wreckers (Palmer, 2009). Both the child and the elderly person are vulnerable and helpless in the hands of their abusers. The young children are in the formative stages of their lives and the people responsible for them like parents, teachers or relatives have the responsibility of shaping their future and whatever they make them to go through will determine whether they will face life with courage or fear (Hill, 2009). The elderly, on the other hand, have advanced in yeas and have grown weak physically and mentally. At this stage they need love and care from there families and loved ones (Hill, 2009). When they are abused they are not able to retaliate and in the end they die taking with them the shame, hopelessness and disappointment (Palmer, 2009).

In a nutshell, child or elder abuse is disgusting and unaccepted but it continues to happen all the time. However, it is wrong to try and compare the two with a purpose to determine which is worse than the other. Both of them are wrong and any one who witnesses or suspects any abuse should report it to the authorities so that we can eradicate this vice from our communities.

Reference List

Fargo Police, (2009). Child Abuse and Elder Abuse. Web.

Hill, P. (2009). Is elder abuse worse than child abuse?. Helium.com. Web.

Hardin, E. and A. Khan-Hudson. (2005). Elder abuse societys dilemma. Journal of the national medical association, 97, 91-94.

Lee, H.K. (2009), San Pablo woman gets 4 years for child abuseSan Francisco Chronicle.

McKnight, R. (2006). Is elder abuse worse than child abuse? Helium.com. Web.

National Center on Elder Abuse (2005). Elder abuse prevalence and incidence. Washington, DC: National Center on Elder Abuse.

National Center on Elder Abuse (1999). Types of elder abuse in domestic settings. Washington, DC: National Center on Elder Abuse.

Palmer, J.S. (2009). Elder and Child Abuse Helium.com. Web.

Rogers, M. (2009). Couple accused of elder abuse of mom The Salt Tribune. Web.

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Child and Elder Abuse: Is It Really Different?

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