Does the severity of elder abuse differ from that of child abuse?

Elder Mistreatment: A Serious Healthcare Issue

Elder mistreatment is a serious healthcare issue that currently plagues our culture. Because they are physically weak and unable to care for themselves, adults 65 years of age and older reside in care and assisted living centers. Because of this, the majority of them are at risk for mistreatment by those responsible for looking after them, which is unacceptable.

Similar Vulnerabilities: Elder and Child Abuse

Children, like the elderly, are constantly in the care of others, making them vulnerable to maltreatment because they are helpless and frail. Elder abuse is not more or less serious than child abuse because abuse is abuse whether on an older adult or a child and it should not be tolerated. No one deserves to be abused irrespective of his or her age because abuse has detrimental impacts on the life of the victim.

Abuse Has Detrimental Effects on Victims

There is no type of abuse that is more or less serious than the other whether in children or in adults because abuse has detrimental effects on the victims. There are several forms of abuse taking place every day and the victims are of all ages. Abuse can be physical, emotional, psychological, and even material, and they all affect the targets (Burgess, Regehr, & Roberts, 2010). Physical abuse can lead to pain and injuries, and this does not matter whether it is a child or an older adult. Both the elderly and young children are a vulnerable population to abuse because they are always helpless. Therefore, elder abuse is not more or less serious than child abuse because they both cause injuries to the victims. Elders are not the only targets of abuse, but children are too, and abuse should be stopped. Any abuse on anyone at any age is unacceptable and should not be tolerated by anyone.

Reference

Burgess, A., Regehr, C., & Roberts, A. (2010). Victimology: Theories and applications. Jones & Bartlett Learning.