Professionals' Awareness of Sexual Abuse in Late Life: An Exploratory Survey.

Abstract

The sexual abuse phenomenon is considered taboo. It has been discussed, to date, mainly in relation to children and young women, with insufficient attention to sexual abuse in a late-life context. The aim of this survey was to explore professionals' awareness of elder sexual abuse (ESA). The survey was conducted among 161 Jewish and Arab professionals from health care and social services, who worked with older adults in Israel. Of the entire sample, 70 professionals (only 43%) reported encountering at least one to three cases of ESA. A total of 98% of the victims were women, and the primary offender was the spouse (75%). In most cases (70%), the victim reported the abuse, which was mainly sexual assault (64%). All participants (100%) noted taking action. This exploratory survey indicates that professionals are partially aware of the existence of and the need to address the ESA phenomenon.