Purpose This study aims to examine the cybercrime awareness among older victims of cyber fraud, emphasising the paradox of high awareness coexisting with vulnerability. Design/methodology/approach The data used for this study are based on the experience of 98 older individuals who were victims of cyber fraud. The data were collected with the help of a structured interview schedule and a Cybercrime Awareness Scale, using a purposive sampling method. Findings This study revealed a paradoxical relationship between awareness and victimisation. Cybercrime awareness among older victims is widespread yet unevenly distributed across socio-demographic profiles. The strongest predictors of awareness are education, nativity and religion, but none of these factors provides guaranteed protection against cyber fraud victimisation. Practical implications The study’s findings suggest that we need programs focused on behaviour that move beyond not just sharing information, instead offering training that builds emotional and cognitive resilience among older adults. Originality/value This research provides new insights that the persistence of victimisation among highly aware individuals demonstrates that cybersecurity is not just a technical issue but also a matter of how we think (cognition) and behave (behaviour) online.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the relationship between loneliness and mental well-being in unmarried older adults, emphasizing the moderating role of locus of control. The objective was to ascertain whether internal, external and powerful others’ control orientations mitigate or exacerbate the psychological impacts of loneliness, with the intention of informing culturally sensitive safeguarding strategies and promoting psychosocial interventions that bolster resilience, autonomy and emotional security in at-risk older populations. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional correlational design was used to analyze the study variables among 200 purposively selected unmarried older adults aged 60 and up from various places across Pakistan. Standardized tools were used, such as the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale and the Levenson Multidimensional Locus of Control Scale. Data collection followed ethical guidelines, assuring informed consent and anonymity. SPSS version 26 was used for statistical analyses, which included descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation and hierarchical multiple regression. Findings Results indicated a significant negative relationship between loneliness and mental well-being. Internal locus of control moderated this relationship by buffering the adverse effects of loneliness, whereas external locus of control intensified them. The “powerful others” dimension exhibited a mild positive moderating influence, suggesting that reliance on supportive figures can offer partial protection. Gender and family structure differences revealed that women and individuals in nuclear families reported higher loneliness and lower well-being. Originality/value This study presents original data from a collectivist setting, framing locus of control as a protective psychological mechanism that informs culturally relevant safeguarding treatments to improve resilience and mental well-being in later life.

Purpose The Mental Capacity Act (2005; MCA) entered into force in 2007, some 18 years ago. Since its implementation, several authors have identified gaps in knowledge and confidence in different professional groups. There has, however, been very little research considering this question in relation to Clinical Psychologists, and many wider surveys are now dated. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and confidence in working with the MCA in a group of practicing Clinical Psychologists. Design/methodology/approach A bespoke survey assessed knowledge and confidence in key domains of the MCA specific to the role of a Clinical Psychologist, including a scenario-based vignette and qualitative responses to address additional training needs. A total of 58 Health and Care Professions Council-registered Clinical Psychologists responded to the survey. Findings In the scenario, Clinical Psychologists demonstrated good knowledge of applying principles of the MCA to a psychology-specific scenario. However, confidence seemed lower, and not all psychologists considered the MCA as very important to their work. Research limitations/implications Research limitations include using a bespoke survey and likely self-selection bias which may mean knowledge and confidence is over-represented. A number of different areas for potential training were identified by the participants. Originality/value Whilst various studies (Marshall and Sprung, 2016; Scott et al., 2020) have explored the knowledge and confidence of the MCA in different professional groups, there has been limited reported data on the knowledge and confidence of a psychological workforce.

Purpose This study aims to explore the views of professionals about specialist services supporting older people in England and Wales who have experienced current sexual violence and answer the following questions: Research questions: What are the barriers to accessing support for older victim survivors? Is there any best practice that can be identified? Specialist Services refers to Sexual Assault Referral Centres and support services such as Rape Crisis. Design/methodology/approach The methodology used in this research involved semi-structured interviews with four professionals working in roles where they have provided direct support to older survivors of sexual violence and abuse and one academic conducting research around survivors of abuse. Data collection was qualitative and identified barriers to disclosure, seeking and accessing support for older victim survivors, along with some examples of best practice. Findings The findings are grouped into nine themes spanning barriers to initial disclosure through to barriers encountered in the criminal justice system for older survivors. Examples of best practice are also presented, detailing opportunities to improve support for older survivors. The research found that, whilst there are some unique barriers that older victim survivors of sexual violence and abuse experience, some of these barriers could be overcome by replicating the good practice identified and by professionals working closely with specialist sexual violence support agencies. Research limitations/implications This research was conducted with five professionals so is limited in scale. It also only covers practitioners working in England and Wales. Despite these limitations, some common themes emerged that identify barriers to seeking and accessing support for older survivors of sexual violence as well as some good practice examples. These findings could be used to improve policy and practice to support older survivors. Practical implications The findings of this research could directly improve practice across a range of services including adult social care, adult safeguarding and specialist sexual violence support services with potential implications for improvements to national practice in agencies such as the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. Social implications Removing barriers to reporting and seeking support, along with replicating examples of good practice in service provision, could lead to more older victims of sexual violence feeling able to disclose and begin a journey to recovery. Originality/value This research offers current perspectives from front line professionals working with older survivors of sexual violence alongside real life examples of good practice that can be used to form new perspectives for professionals working with older people. The identification of themes relating to barriers to seeking and accessing support reflect the current situation within a range of agencies and the impact this directly has on victims’ recovery.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to synthesize existing evidence through a bibliometric and systematic literature review (B+SLR) on the use of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), virtual reality (VR), and Indonesian Sign Language (Bisindo) in psychological interventions, in order to establish a rationale for an integrated, adaptive, and trauma-informed digital therapy model for Deaf women survivors of sexual violence. Design/methodology/approach Adhering to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) 2020 guidelines, the authors systematically searched the Scopus database for English-language articles published between January 1, 2015, and July 31, 2025, and assessed methodological quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklists. Findings Data from the 17 included studies were analyzed via thematic synthesis and supplemented by bibliometric analysis. The synthesis confirms that while REBT is effective for cognitive restructuring in trauma, and VR provides a safe, immersive therapeutic environment, both approaches lack adaptation for deaf individuals. Originality/value Notably, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no studies were found that explicitly integrate all three components. This review highlights a significant gap in the literature and provides the evidence-based foundation for the proposed REBT BiVR model, a novel intervention framework designed to bridge this communicative and technological divide.

Purpose This study aims to systematically review the literature on elder financial abuse and exploitation, with a specific focus on identifying key vulnerabilities and protective factors. It consolidates fragmented evidence to inform policy, safeguarding practices and future research. Design/methodology/approach A structured title-based search was conducted in Web of Science using population-related terms (e.g. elder, older adult, vulnerable adult) combined with financial abuse terms (e.g. financial exploitation, economic abuse, financial harm). The query retrieved 186 records, of which 93 peer-reviewed papers met the eligibility criteria. Data extraction covered theoretical approaches, contexts, methodologies and documented vulnerabilities and protective mechanisms. Findings Research has expanded substantially since 2010, with the USA, Israel and the UK contributing most studies. Frequently reported vulnerabilities include cognitive decline, limited financial and digital literacy, social isolation, minority status and complex family dynamics. Protective factors, less commonly examined, encompass financial education, community engagement, social support, policy reforms and multidisciplinary safeguarding frameworks. Significant geographic gaps exist in Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia, limiting the global applicability of current evidence. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first systematic review to integrate vulnerabilities and protective factors in elder financial abuse and exploitation through a cross-disciplinary perspective. It reveals a marked imbalance between risk documentation and prevention research, underscoring the need for culturally sensitive, evidence-based interventions and proactive safeguarding strategies.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the language being used by leaders in a charity offering residential care to adults in relation to safeguarding and, therefore, improve leadership practice. Design/methodology/approach Action learning sets (ALSs) were used to explore the use of language and its relationship to practice. In addition, interviews were held with the presenters of each case and surveys were completed at the mid-point and end of the ALS series. The researcher used the Multiple Lens View Model (Shippen and Trussler, 2024) to encourage leaders to examine the perspectives they took when discussing safeguarding issues. Findings Language used to evaluate safeguarding incidents, particularly the terms care, capacity and consequences exposed contrary understanding and application of policy, potentially increasing risk. Research limitations/implications It is valuable for leadership teams to examine how they are operationalising the legislation, policy and procedures of their organisations using ALSs. This helped the organisation examine its practice and implement more ALSs in reviewing safeguarding issues as they emerge. Originality/value Studies have examined practice in relation to legislation; however, to the author’s knowledge, not in terms of the language used in care, capacity and consequences and how the use of ALSs can examine the operation of safeguarding adults.

Purpose The purpose of the study, which is an extension of the corresponding author’s PHD work, is to assess the nature, scope and extent of elder abuse in India’s urban settings. It tries to explore the reasons as to why elder abuse is increasing and tends to suggest how a futuristic law may help in resolving the issue. Design/methodology/approach The design of the study is qualitative and uses both doctrinal and empirical approaches to reach summarized findings. The apriori theoretical generalizations of the paper are augmented by means of empirical data collected through cross-sectional field surveys conducted in old-age homes across a few select cities of India. A total of 86 respondents (51 women and 35 men) participated in the surveys. Findings Out of the 86 older adults, 28 respondents had reported abuse for a prevalence of 32.6%. The prevalence of abuse was 19.6% in female respondents and 51.4% in male respondents. Sons followed by daughters were the main abusers. Research limitations/implications The empirical part of the study examines elder abuse with reference to the urban settings and does not advert to the rural settings. Another limitation (in reference to the empirical part) is that the size of the sample (86 older adults) is relatively small to reach broad generalizations regarding the prevalence of elder abuse. Yet another limitation is the skewed gender ratio of the survey respondents. Originality/value This study bears contemporary policy and legal relevance because India is contemplating amending the provisions of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 to bestow liability on the perpetrators of elder abuse.