Elderly women more vulnerable to abuse than men, says report

Elderly women face more abuse than their male counterparts in metro cities than non-metro cities, a survey on the existence of elder abuse in urban India has found.
According to a report released today by HelpAge India, on the eve of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to be observed on June 15, women seemed to be more vulnerable with 52 per cent women facing abuse as against 48 per cent men.
The research pans 12 cities across 8 states with a sample size of 1,200 elders covering both metro (Tier I) and non- metro (Tier II) cities.
The report was carried out to determine the existence of elder abuse, reasons for its occurrence, its extent and what as per elderly were the most effective measures to deal with the problem.

The findings revealed a disturbing 50 per cent of elders experienced abuse as against last year's 23 per cent, an unsettling future for elderly in the country.
The abuser, the report claims, was a trusted source from within the elders family with the daughter-in-law (61 per cent) and son (59 per cent) emerging as the topmost perpetrators.

The report also claimed that 77 per cent of those surveyed live with their families and an unsuspecting entry amongst the top three abusers is now the daughter as well.
Though the national capital of Delhi ranked the lowest in elder abuse with 22 per cent amongst Tier I cities, it also indicated a marginal increase of the same from 20 per cent last year, showing a slow but disturbing growth.

Bengaluru ranked the highest at 75 per cent among Tier I cities surveyed, while in the Tier II cities Kanpur was the lowest (13 per cent) and Nagpur highest at 85 per cent.
"The problem needs to be dealt with at its root. The degeneration of our value system has heightened this problem. Children are turning abusers. There is a dire need to sensitize them, starting young," Mathew Cherian, Chief Executive Officer, HelpAge India said.