PRESS CONFERENCE ON ABUSE OF OLDER PERSONS

Emphasizing the need for global action to combat serious violations of the human rights of older persons, the first-ever report of the United Nations on the abuse of older persons was launched today at a Headquarters press conference sponsored by the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Sue Markham of the Department's Public Affairs Division, before introducing an expert panel, told correspondents the Secretary-General has released the report as part of preparations for the upcoming Second World Assembly on Ageing.  The final preparatory committee for the Assembly, which will be held from 8 to

12 April in Madrid, Spain, is meeting this week at Headquarters.  Marking the twentieth anniversary of the 1982 First World Assembly, the Madrid Assembly is expected to adopt the 2002 International Plan of Action on Ageing in the context of "a society for all", the theme of the 1999 International Year of Older Persons.

The panel at today’s press conference included Odile Frank, Chief of the Social Integration Branch, Department of Economic and Social Affairs; Lai Daichman, of the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse; and Rajul Mahta, a documentary filmmaker and representative of the non-governmental organization OUTREACH.

According to the report, the abuse of older persons has gained public attention since the early 1980s.  Growing attention to human rights and increasing awareness of the rights of older men and women had led to viewing the abuse of older persons as a human rights issue.  The abuse of older persons, which takes many forms, including physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse, often went unnoticed and unreported, with only the most severe cases commanding attention.  Viewing the abuse of older as a human rights issue would help to draw attention to the political issues of elder abuse and discrimination. 

Ms. Frank told correspondents that while abuse of society's weakest members, including women and children, has been recognized for some time, it should come as no surprise that society's strongest members, adult men and women, also abused older persons in vulnerable circumstances.  The report assembled evidence from worldwide sources.  While some of the research on the abuse of older persons was based on large studies, some evidence had been based on small-scale reports.  The Secretary-General's report was not the first report on the abuse of older persons in the United Nations system, she pointed out.  The World Health Organization (WHO) was also carrying out research on the subject. 

At present, it was difficult to accurately measure the global extent of the problem, she continued.  Remarkably, while it was not yet possible to gauge the extent of the problem, it was possible to document the different forms of elder abuse, including physical, psychological, social and financial.  While the report might only open the door to a quantitative assessment of abuse perpetrated against older persons, it was already a rich compendium of qualitative information.  It was a brief but powerful report, and she recommended it to all those interested in the human condition.

Ms. Daichman said that since its identification as a social problem more than 20 years ago, elder abuse had become a worldwide phenomenon.  Older people

suffered many forms of violence.  Abundant myths and stereotypes associated with older persons, combined with lack of knowledge of elder abuse, often hindered the recognition of elder abuse.  The dynamic between caregivers and care receivers was complex and had resulted in a number of theories, including caregiver stress, dependency and the intergenerational transmission of violence.  Structural inequalities in both developed and developing countries that had resulted in poor wages, high unemployment rates, poor healthcare, gender discrimination and a lack of educational opportunities had contributed to the vulnerability of older persons.

While the developed countries had emphasized individual and family attributes as predictors of elder mistreatment, developing nations had given more weight to cultural factors, such as inheritance systems, gender discrimination, and the loss of tradition and arbitration roles of elders within the family, she said.  More solid knowledge was needed for policy planning and practice.  There was an urgent need for reliable databases for the development of responsible regional planning.  Education and training was also needed.  The media could be a powerful source of positive images of older persons and must provide responsible coverage of the issues surrounding elder abuse.  Collaboration and public-private partnerships were essential for effective prevention policies.

Ms. Mahta said that in India some 76 million people -- about 7.6 per cent of India's population of 1 billion -- were elders.  Some 80 per cent of India's senior population lived in rural areas.  She was currently working on a documentary that would focus on the elderly population in Bombay.  With India's numerous languages, there was no term to describe elder abuse.  People ran away from the term "abuse".  Whereas child abuse and the abuse of wives -- "bride burning" -- was well known, reverse abuse, or abuse from within the family, many times from daughters-in-law, was not well known.  Unfortunately, many times it often only appeared that the elderly were well treated.

In Bombay, which compared to New York City in terms of real estate values, but not in terms of salaries, lack of space was a huge problem, she said.  She had heard of an elderly couple that had jumped from the eighth floor of their apartment building because their son and daughter-in-law were harassing them.  People were in a hurry to get things and were following the "I" rather than the "We" model.  Financial and material exploitation took place more in the upper class families.  Within the lower income groups, neglect and abandonment were more prevalent, possibly due to a lack of resources.

At what age was one considered an "older" person? a correspondent asked.  Was elderly abuse more prevalent in the developed countries or in the developing countries?

While there was no universal definition of older persons, the United Nations tended to define older persons as 60 years and older, Ms. Frank said.  Abuse of older persons occurred everywhere.  Exact numerical estimates were difficult to find, however.  For most countries, figures did not exist.  When figures were reported, however, they were probably underestimates.  It was an "iceberg" problem -- only the tip of the problem could be seen. 

Ms. Daichman agreed that there was little difference between developed and developing countries regarding the abuse of older persons.  Abuse often took different forms, which was why research was needed.  Many legal aspects of elder

abuse were non-existent.  In fact, only three countries -- Canada, United States and Israel -- had mandatory reporting systems for the abuse of older persons. 

In response to a question on the demographics of older persons, Ms. Frank said that at the moment some 10 per cent of the world's population were 60 years and older.  Many of the abused older persons were women.

       What was the most prevalent form of elder abuse? a correspondent asked.  One could venture a guess that the most predominant form of abuse was neglect,  Ms. Frank said.  The very fact that most institutions in developed countries were understaffed indicated the possibility of neglect.  Some of the neglect was not intentional, however, but was based on ignorance and attitudes towards older persons.

Financial and material problems must be taken into consideration when trying to determine the reasons for neglect, Ms. Daichman added.  There were also societal reasons.  Societies and governments often failed to positively portray the elderly.

Whether financial or social, the psychological effects of neglect on the elderly were grave, Ms. Mahta said.  Abuse was often specific to different cultures and even to different cities. 

Did mandatory retirement play a role in the abuse of older persons? a correspondent asked.  Ms. Frank said that mandatory retirement often had enormous benefits for older persons in that it indicated some form of pension.  In countries with no mandatory retirement age, many older persons worked until they dropped.  While mandatory retirement might contribute to the perception that people were either young or old, it might also indicate a system of support that otherwise would not be available.

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