Protection of the Elderly from Abuse in Jordanian Law

Abstract

The increase in the numbers of elderly globally and nationally has led to more attention to the rights of this most vulnerable group and the necessity to provide an effective legal protection against elder abuse. The significance of this research lies in the fact that it is necessary to protect elder people against abuse, as they are a vulnerable and susceptible group. Hence, this research revolves centrally around the extent to which the legal protection Jordanian laws provide to elder persons against abuse compared to the international standards. The research followed the analytical and comparative method, by conducting a comprehensive review of the Jordanian legal texts, analysing them and comparing them to the international standard. This research concludes that the protection provided by the Jordanian legislations and international conventions against elder abuse is not sufficient. The research provides several recommendations including criminalising all types of elder abuse, imposing deterrent sanctions and explicit provision for mandatory reporting of abuse cases.