The elderly, like any other age group, are victims of violence and criminal injustices. However, the government has not been able to respond effectively to the abuse of older adults, with little information and statistics available to show the vulnerability of the elderly to abuse. Regardless of the less possibility of the elderly being abused than young adults, there is a need for intervention. There are laws among all the federal states that protect from abuse for the elderly, who typically are sixty years old and above. Therefore, as most advocates suggest, abuse against the elderly requires various stakeholders, including law enforcement and domestic violence agencies, to work together for a solution. As a result, for legal action against the elderly, the abuse against them has to be intentional and must cause harm. Besides, a situation whereby the caregivers of the elderly fail to provide for them will be termed as an abusive situation. Some of the abuse the elderly face can be categorized into institutional elder abuse, family elder abuse, and self-abuse. The paper highlights the several issues experienced by the elderly in accessing criminal justice interventions.
Abuse for the elderly has led to increased cases of depression, physical injuries, and trauma among older adults. In the fight against the abuse of older adults, various issues arise in accessing criminal justice interventions. One of the issues includes mandated reporting, whereby the state provides legal permission for individuals to report any allegations of elderly abuse. There is a requirement for the mandated reporters to provide the exact time and place of the suspected abuse of the elderly (Gosselin, 2019). Even though identifying abuse against the elderly is difficult because of their reluctance to open up about abuse, mandated reporters should ensure a piece of accurate information is provided. Response to elderly abuse is another issue in accessing criminal justice intervention whereby the rate of response by the criminal justice department has not been effective. Thus, there have been multidisciplinary teams around the states to ensure quick responses and prevent abuse of older adults. There have been experiences of transition from traditional criminal justice methods, thus enabling more protection for the elderly. The multidisciplinary teams improve access to criminal justice among the elderly by providing channels and assistance programs.
The police response is another arising matter in criminal justice interventions whereby the law enforcers must apply a multidisciplinary approach. Police are recommended to use modified responses other than just arresting and prosecuting the abuse perpetrators. A thorough evaluation of situations might be more effective and reduce the possibility of causing more harm. Police officers should act as liabilities in ensuring that the elderly are protected from abuse and criminal violations that can cause harm. However, perpetrators can be arrested, and investigations carried out depending on the extent of the reported abuse and the possibility of repeated abuse. In investigating an abuse, the police should consider the guiding principles that include determining the cause and the jurisdiction mandate for the arrest.
Due to the changing times and more aging population, there should be effective measures to ensure that the elderly are not exposed to abuse. The elderly experience risk of physical and mental suffering due to their abuse and any other forms of criminal violence. The elderly are vulnerable and need legislation protection and law enforcement to protect them from violations. Police and other law enforcers should be able to respond effectively to any reported cases of elderly abuse. There is also a need for multidisciplinary teams and mandatory reporting to be considered within the communities to prevent elderly abuse.
Reference
Gosselin, D.K. (2019). Family and inmate partner violence: Heavy hands. Pearson.