65,000 elderly victims of violence

Elderly.Photo: Norway Today Media

New research indicates that around 65,000 people living at home have been subjected to violence or abuse after the age of 65.

 

The figure comes from the first broad survey on the field,wrote Vårt Land newspaper.

‘It is sad reading that approximately 65,000 people over 65 are exposed to violence or abuse. The numbers are not surprising, but this is completely new information thematically.

This is the first time we can present figures about the occurrence of violence in this age group,’ said Astrid Sandmoe. She is a project manager at the Norwegian Knowledge Center on Violence and Traumatic Stress (NKVTS)

Ireland and the UK are among the few countries that have investigated how frequently older people are exposed to violence. The percentage exposed to violence is higher in Norway than in those two countries.

The study points to very clear relationships between violence and impaired health. According to Sandmoe, this age group are among those who are least able to stick up for themselves.

‘There will never be a grassroots riot from the victims among this group’.
Sandmoe believes health care must become more active in uncovering violence against all age groups. The Norwegian study also draws attention to the relationship between a violent childhood, and the degree of violence people are exposed to later in life.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today