Financial Abuse Research Articles

Mile High Money: Payday Stores Target Colorado Communities of Color

Recognizing the need for payday loan reform to curtain financial abuse, Colorado enacted a new law in 2010 that reduced the fees and costs per loan. However, there is still evidence of repeated refinancing and costly interest rates. Using GIS mapping and regression, we are able to determine that race and ethnicity are significant factors for where payday loan stores locate in Colorado, even after controlling for income.

Factors related to abuse of older persons by relatives with psychiatric disorders

IntroductionAcross developed nations, elder abusers have been found to disproportionately have indicators of psychiatric disorders (PD); however, elder abuse by persons with PD has received almost no research attention. The present analysis examines the association of perpetrator, victim, and interaction factors with the occurrence of physical, financial, and psychological abuse of older persons, committed by relatives with PD. MethodsData are from a U.S. community recruited survey of 243 persons 55 years of age and older who report having an adult relative with PD. Multivariate logistic regression was performed examining the association of proposed factors with the occurrence of physical, financial, and psychological abuse. ResultsIn the past 6 months, 15%, 20%, and 42% of respondents reported experiencing physical, financial, and psychological abuse by relatives with PD, respectively. All forms of abuse co-occur at statistically significant levels. There is variation among factors associated with physical, financial, and psychological abuse; however, all types are associated with greater use of limit-setting practices and either regular attendance of mental health treatment or use of medications. ConclusionsEfforts to prevent abuse of older persons may benefit from linking suspected/substantiated elder abusers with PD to mental health treatment. Older persons engaging in high levels of limit-setting practices towards relatives with PD may benefit from being offered support and guidance regarding how to set limits in ways less likely to escalate conflict.

The Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence on Health: A Further Disaggregation of Psychological Violence-Evidence From Spain.

Using a nationally representative sample of 10,171 women, this study examines the association between current and previous intimate partner violence and current health status. Current physical or sexual violence was associated with the highest likelihood of reporting health outcomes, followed by current emotional or economic abuse. Current controlling behavior increased the odds of reporting poor health whereas previous controlling behavior has less effect on current health. Controlling behavior alone often is the first expression of mistreatment. If health professionals could identify violence at this early stage, long-term effects on women's health could be minimized. The implications for health of the cumulative effects of violence and of its timing are discussed.

The IMF, its mandate and influence in prevention of financial sector abuse

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to articulate the mandate of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) not least in promoting a sound legal regulatory environment for markets to operate globally and its inherent challenges. While acknowledging the plausible work done by the IMF in supporting countries to achieve their macro-economic stability, the paper articulates some of its shortcomings as a global institution. It is evident that the post-war climate in which the World Bank and IMF were created has drastically changed – which presupposes that these institutions now need to reposition themselves to reflect on contemporary global challenges accordingly. The author has argued in the past that a robust regulatory system should be devised taking into account the dynamic challenges in the market environment but also to prevent them from happening again. Design/methodology/approach The paper has utilized empirical evidence to evaluate the mandate of the IMF in addressing its dynamic challenges such as the global financial and debt crises in Europe and the USA and prevention of financial sector abuse globally. The IMF is one of the Bretton Woods Institutions charged with the oversight responsibility to enforce policies and enable countries to manage their macro-economic challenges efficiently. Findings The findings demonstrate that the IMF is as relevant and important as it was when it was created in 1945. However, there is a need for intrinsic and structural changes within this institution to continue discharging its mandate in a changed global regulatory landscape. The IMF is still crucial in fostering a fundamental stabilization function to fragile global economies in areas of financial and technical assistance, and developing requisite legal and supervisory infrastructure within fledging member countries. Research limitations/implications The paper was written by analysis of both theoretical and empirical data largely based on secondary data sources. It would have been better to first present the findings in an international conference to solicit wide views and internalize them accordingly. Practical implications While acknowledging the plausible work done by the IMF and its counterpart the World Bank in facilitating global financial markets regulation and prevention of financial sector abuse, as oversight institutions, they need to constantly review their mandate to respond robustly to their dynamic challenges such as the global and debt crises and financial sector abuse. Oversight institutions need to constantly review and adapt their mandate accordingly, if they are to discharge their varied responsibilities efficiently. They cannot stand still in the face of challenges because they will be superseded and kept at a back foot. Social implications Markets and states are embedded in each other, and the way they are regulated is of a significant importance to varied stakeholders and people. Originality/value This paper is one of its kind, is unique in its character and evaluates embedded issues using empirical evidence in a way not done in its context before. Secondary data sources have been evaluated to achieve a thoughtful analysis of the objectives of the paper.

Putting a Stop to Schemes, Scams That Destroy Lives

Putting a Stop to Schemes, Scams That Destroy Lives

The Position of African Women within the Realm of Culture, Patriarchy and the Law: A Case of Kenya

The world is on a quest to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG5), which seeks to promote gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. Women have been oppressed overtime in most societies. Statistics continue to project increasing rates of various acts of gender based violence such as domestic violence, sexual violence, cultural and economic abuse and so on. These acts of abuse are accelerated by several factors pertinent to our social systems such as culture, patriarchy and the Law. Using Kenya as a case study, this paper examines how these three factors contribute to differential gender treatment. The purpose is to inform on the extent to which the welfare of African women has been compromised by the law, culture and patriarchy, to find relevant long-term solutions to curb further degradation of women in Africa and subsequently, achieve SDG5.

Violence and Residual Associations Among Native Americans Living on Tribal Lands

The treatment of Native American populations has not been a traditional area of focus among mental health researchers (Matamonasa-Bennett, 2013). However, a push for increased knowledge in the effective treatment of this population has led to an influx of empirical attention in the past few decades. The National Congress of American Indians declared violence against Native Americans, particularly those living on tribal lands, as the most critical issue faced by Native Americans (Matamonasa-Bennett, 2013). Complicating the interpretations of the subsequent studies, Evans-Campbell (2008) concluded significant differences between Native Americans living on tribal lands and Native Americans living in urban areas. It is critical that counselors be cognizant of such within-group differences (Brown-Rice, 2013). Research efforts related to Native American populations living in tribal communities have predominately focused on exposure to violence. In order to bridge the gap in understanding how violence impacts Native Americans, the current review addresses the prevalence, predictive characteristics and residual associations related to violence among Native American men and women living on tribal lands. Moreover, the barriers to addressing mental health treatment among this population are discussed. Implications for counselors and directions for research are provided.Violence and Mental Health Issues for Native AmericansViolence can consist of physical, sexual and emotional assault (Watts & Zimmerman 2002). Many acts of violence can be characterized as a combination of these categories, such as a sexual assault that also produces physical harm to the survivor. Physical violence can include assault, neglect of basic needs (which is most common among children), exploitation of labor and false imprisonment. Sexual violence includes rape, fondling, genital mutilation and sex trafficking (Watts & Zimmerman, 2002). Emotional violence includes isolation, verbal abuse, economic abuse, coercion, threats and intimidation (Pence & Paymar, 1993). Because violence is often conceptualized as a means to gaining or maintaining power and control over others, a survivor of violence is often victimized by those closest to him or her, such as a family member or friend (Watts & Zimmerman, 2002).Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with exposure to physically, sexually and emotionally violent experiences (Ford, Grasso, Elhai, & Courtois, 2015). Traumatic stress symptoms are often more complicated to treat in circumstances when an individual has been exposed to prolonged or repeated violence. Furthermore, these symptoms are more likely to develop when survivors of violence feel a sense of betrayal from the perpetrator, which is often reported by those who experience sexual assault and domestic abuse (Ford et al., 2015). Researchers have concluded that these issues are more prevalent among Native Americans living on tribal lands (Malcoe, Duran, & Montgomery, 2004; Yuan, Koss, Polacca, & Goldman, 2006), which may suggest a higher likelihood for the development of PTSD when compared to other populations.Although PTSD is the mental health disorder most often associated with individuals who experience violence, depression (Cascardi, O'Leary, & Schlee, 1999) and anxiety (Pico-Alfonso et al., 2006) symptoms have been highly correlated to violence exposure. Clearly, those who survive violence are at high risk of developing mental health symptoms and can benefit from professional intervention. However, the experiences of Native Americans related to violence are not likely to be completely congruent to other populations (Sue & Sue, 2012). For this reason, it is crucial for counselors to gain increased competency in the unique factors impacting the Native American community in order to provide effective care.Violence Against Native American WomenUnited States legislators acknowledged in the 2005 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that Native American women living on tribal lands were a particularly marginalized population (Crossland, Palmer, & Brooks, 2013). …

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office — the fiasco of the European Union financial security vision?

Aim: The article is devoted to the problem of financial abuses and frauds that undermines the public finances of EU and public interest. Motivation: The problem is not new and it is known for several years. There is no doubt that investments funded by the EU are common. A huge amount of EU money is also a huge temptation and purpose of economic crimes. Over the years, the EU and the Member States already took some action to prevent from embezzlement of the EU budget. Until now, the main institution that coordinated the fight against these phenomena was the European Commission and its structure, especially the European Anti-Fraud Office. Fighting against economic crimes violating the interests of the EU is difficult for the procedural reasons. European investigators have no prosecuting power. Investigative role is limited to gathering evidence and transferring it to the national prosecuting authorities. After that European investigators lose the control over conducted case. The Treaty on the functioning of the European Union gives us another tool to fight the frauds. It seems that the solution is to establish the European Public Prosecutor Office (EPPO) with full procedural rights to prosecute violators. That’s why the general thesis is that EPPO should be established as soon as it is possible to help prevent EU citizens money in more effective way than it is today. However this could be a contribution for the next article concerning the economic analysis of the law and the impact of new regulations on security funds entrusted to the EU. Results: The idea of establishing an EPPO has almost 10 years and was initiated in the connection with the latest financial crisis. Unfortunately, despite declarations and attempts to start it in January 2015 it is still not known if and when it will actually work. The article also takes the issue of commitment and various visions of the Member States of achieving the EU budget safety and other problems on this ground.

Childhood Misfortune and Adult Health in a National Study.

This study investigated the relationship between childhood misfortune and 10-year change in health and whether this relationship was mediated by the quality of social relations. We used data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) national longitudinal study, 1995-1996 (Time 1) and 2005-2006 (Time 2). Childhood misfortune was measured at Time 1 using indicators of financial strain, family structure, and abuse. Self-rated physical and mental health indicators were obtained at both occasions. The measure of quality of social relations was based on items relative to social support and social strain from spouse, friends, and family at Time 1. Mediational models showed that a higher level of childhood misfortune was associated with low-quality family relations which in turn tend to account for change in mental health. These findings suggest that childhood misfortune is associated with the quality of social relations, which in turn explain individual changes in mental health in adulthood.

Do Personal Budgets Increase the Risk of Abuse? Evidence from English National Data

AbstractWith the continued implementation of the personalisation policy, Personal Budgets (PBs) have moved to the mainstream in adult social care in England. The relationship between the policy goals of personalisation and safeguarding is contentious. Some have argued that PBs have the potential to empower recipients, while others believe PBs, especially Direct Payments, might increase the risk of abuse.This paper provides empirical evidence about levels of uptake of PBs and safeguarding referrals in England based on in-depth analysis of national data at aggregate, local council level in England, covering 152 Councils. This is complemented by analysis of 2,209 individual referral records obtained from three purposively selected study sites. The aim is to explore whether available data could provide evidence of association between the uptake of PBs and safeguarding referrals. Analysis of the national dataset found no significant relationships between PB uptake and the level and type of alleged abuse. However, analysis of individual-level referral data, from the three selected sites did find some significant associations particularly with financial abuse; and found the main perpetrators of the alleged abuse to be home-care employees. The findings are discussed within the context of current policy and practice.

Nurses' perception in Tehran of Elder Abuse

Introduction and purpose: Number of elderly population is increasing and according to WHO estimation, this number rise up to 22% in 2050. Elderly are prone to several challenges such as elder abuse due to aging population. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate nurses' perception of elder abuse in the city of Tehran. Materials and Methods: This Cross-sectional study was conducted by convenience sampling method to select 400 nurses from February to March 2014. Samples selected from nurses working in the emergency departments affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. A researcher-made questionnaire was used and the reliability was ensured using Cronbach's alpha (α =82%). SPSS version 13 was used to analyze the data via descriptive statistics. Findings: Findings from this study indicated that mean age of our participants was 40.12 (SD=7.05) years old. Nurses perceived financial and sexual elder abuse as the most frequent type of elderly abuse. Conclusion: Nurses spend a large amount of time with patients compared to other health care practitioners which represent nurses as the frontline in proving care to elderly. Therefore, it is necessary to expand our knowledge about elder abuse and different type of abuse.

Rent and Rent-seeking in Iran

Financial abuse of power and making decisions that would guarantee the achievement of personal goals have attracted the attention of many Iranian intellectuals in recent years. Evidently, these problems indicate a kind of corruption which is in turn caused by discrimination. A clear example of discrimination in the economic literature is rent seeking; a sinister phenomenon through which windfall wealth is gained. Nowadays, in Iran, the negative meaning of rent usually comes to mind. Unfortunately, it must be stated that political, administrative and financial corruption as well as different types of rent seeking especially economic and political rent have turned into one of the most important problems in the society. Presence of entire governments and politics of rentierism ihas intensifiednsified those problems. Rent seeking, weakens the motivation to work and be productive and causes productive powers to go astray and do wrong. In a society of rent-seekers, sources of wealth, education and power become exclusive and discrimination and corruption, bribery, and consideration of family relationships rather than the rules, unlawful appointments and dismissals, etc. spread all over the society.

Coercive Control and Physical Violence in Older Adults: Analysis Using Data From the National Elder Mistreatment Study.

The most common perpetrators of physical violence against women of any age are their intimate partners. Although research on younger adults has recognized that intimate partner violence (IPV) is distinct in etiology, form, and consequence, whether the same is true for older adults has not been adequately studied. The extent and consequences of coercive controlling violence, IPV that involves physical violence coupled with psychological aggression and/or financial abuse, have not been examined in older populations. Using data from the National Elder Mistreatment Study, the current research examines if coercive control is more evident in physical violent victimizations of older adults (age 60 or older) when the perpetrator is an intimate partner compared with when the perpetrator is not an intimate partner. Findings indicate that older adults who experience emotional coercive control by intimate partners in their lifetime are more likely to experience physical abuse at age 60 or older. Furthermore, older adults who experienced trauma during their lifetime, were in poor health, and with less social support are more likely to experience physical abuse at age 60 or older. However, the victim's sex had no significant influence on the likelihood of experiencing physical abuse.

Understanding Service Utilization in Cases of Elder Abuse to Inform Best Practices.

Elder abuse (EA) case resolution is contingent upon victims accepting and pursuing protective service interventions. Refusal/underutilization of services is a major problem. This study explored factors associated with extent of EA victim service utilization (SU). Data were collected from a random sample of EA cases (n = 250) at a protective service program in New York City. In cases involving financial abuse, higher SU was associated with females, poor health, perceived danger, previous help-seeking, and self or family referral. In physical abuse cases, higher SU was associated with family referral and previous help-seeking; lower SU was related to Hispanic race/ethnicity, being married, and child/grandchild perpetrator. In emotional abuse cases, higher SU was associated with self or family referral, victim-perpetrator gender differential, perceived danger, and previous help-seeking; lower SU was related to child/grandchild perpetrator. Findings carry implications for best practices to retain and promote service use among elder victims of abuse.

Financial consequences of leaving violent men – women survivors of domestic violence and the social assistance system in Sweden

ABSTRACTBeing self-sufficient, having an economy of your own, does not only safeguard basic resources such as food and shelter but is also a prerequisite for ensuring full participation in society. Research shows that women subjected to domestic violence often suffer from economic abuse and experience economic hardship within and after their relationships. Without economic support it is harder for abused women to break up and the risk of returning to a violent partner increases. The aim of the article is to understand how survivors of domestic violence experience financial vulnerability and what implications these experiences have on social work within the social assistance system. Based on 13 in-depth interviews with women survivors, our study describes how debts and stolen money, together with difficulties on the labour market, affect their ability to have a reasonable economic standard (long) after breaking up. Several of the women describe how social workers in different ways have recognized them by giving emotional support, cognitive respect and social esteem. However, social workers have also mimicked patterns of abuse from their ex-partners.

Ethical Issues in Retirement Income Planning: An Advisor’s Perspective

The Ethical Issues in Retirement Income Planning study gathered the perceptions of expert retirement income planners. The good news is that the retirement income planners surveyed expressed a high level of satisfaction with the retirement planning profession’s ethical climate, as 64% of respondents believed that the overall ethical culture in the retirement income industry was solid as compared to 36% that expressed some concern. However, advisors were not without concerns. When asked to rank those concerns, a dominant theme emerged through the survey’s quantitative and qualitative findings: Respondents believed that ethical violations were the result of a lack of education and not purposeful malfeasance. The number one ethical concern respondents identified was financial elder abuse. Respondents were not overly concerned that financial advisors were the primary perpetrators but were worried about the industry’s ability to identify cases of financial elder abuse and exploitation, noting that most retirement advisors had not been adequately trained to recognize the signs of abuse, which are often subtle and ambiguous. Respondents reported that they saw very few acts of outright fraud or deceit. Respondents generally believed that retirement advisors, while well-intentioned, often lacked sufficient knowledge in three main areas: Social Security, Medicare, and tax planning. They feared that these knowledge limitations might lead practitioners to make recommendations that were not in the best interest of their clients. An additional and related concern was that consumers would not be able to act as a check since in many cases they lacked the financial literacy to understand the complex products or plans offered to them. In some cases, clients simply trusted their advisor and remained disengaged from the planning process. Respondents also perceived that this level of client dependence reflected a general lack of understanding of the financial advisor’s pivotal role in the process of planning for retirement.

Prevalence and associated factors of elder mistreatment: a cross sectional study from urban Nepal.

mistreatment of elderly people is internationally recognised as a serious public health issue. This study aimed at estimating the prevalence and risk factors associated with mistreatment in urban Nepal. this was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 212 elderly people residing in Butwal sub-metropolitan city, an urban area in Nepal; the study was conducted between March and October 2015. Two-stage cluster design with simple random sampling was adopted for the study. Information was collected using an interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire of older people. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with elder mistreatment. this study found a prevalence of 49.1% for mistreatment of the elderly population. Prevalence rates of caregiver neglect, financial, psychological or physical mistreatment and other types (including sexual assault) were 47.2%, 11.8%, 10.8%, 1.42% and 3.3%, respectively. Being a dalit (untouchable backward class in the traditional Hindu caste system), unemployed, widowed, divorced or separated, problems concentrating and smoking were independent factors associated with mistreatment. Smoking was found to be consistently associated with the three most common mistreatment types. mistreatment of older people is common in urban Nepal, with neglect, financial and psychological abuse most common. Along with standard risk factors, specific ethnic issues (membership of dalit community) are associated with increased risk.

방문요양보호사의 노인학대에 대한 인식

본 논문은 재가시설 방문요양보호사들의 노인학대와 관련한 인식정도를 학대신고 및 관련 교육경험을 중심으로 조사한 서술적 조사연구이다. 자료수집은 2014년 1월 13일부터 2월 10일까지 방문요양보호사 249명을 대상으로 자기기입식 설문을 통해 이루어졌다. 전체적인 노인학대 인식은 높았으며, 학대 유형 중 신체적 학대에 대한 인식이 가장 높고, 재정적, 언어적, 방임 그리고 정서적 학대 순으로 나타났다. 대부분의 방문요양보호사들은 노인학대 예방을 위한 신고의무가 중요하다고 인식했으나, 다수의 경우가 신고경험이 없고, 알고 있는 신고기관 종류가 대부분 경찰로 다소 제한적이었다. 관련 교육에 있어서는 다수의 방문요양보호사들이 노인학대 예방 및 신고에 대한 교육프로그램의 학습요구도가 매우 높았으며, 노인학대의 사례와 대처방법, 가족에 대한 상담과 교육방법 등 재가 현장에 필요한 구체적이고 실제적인 내용을 주로 희망하였다. 이에 재가시설 방문요양보호사들을 위한 노인학대 예방교육 프로그램 개발 시 유형별 노인학대의 인식, 신고의무 및 신고체계에 대한 정확한 이해 그리고 구체적인 학대사례와 대처방법이 중심이 되어야 하며, 재가의 특성 상 가족들의 상담과 교육 또한 중요내용으로 포함될 필요가 있다. This study describes visiting caregivers' perceptions and reporting of elder abuse. From January 13 to February 10, 2014, data were collected from 249 visiting caregivers working at homes by using a structured questionnaire. The caregivers' perceptions of abuse were high overall. Physical abuse was the most common type, followed by financial, verbal, negligence, and emotional abuse. Most visitors recognized that it is important to require reporting for the prevention of elder abuse, but most of them had no experience with reporting abuse, and the agencies that they knew were mostly the police. A majority of the visiting caregivers had attended an elder abuse program and recognized the importance of such programs. The caregivers hoped that the programs would have specific examples of how to deal with elder abuse and family counseling methods, and other practical content for their work. Programs should focus on coping with individual cases, proper counseling methods, and awareness of elder abuse.

Additional Layers of Violence: The Intersections of Gender and Disability in the Violence Experiences of Women With Physical Disabilities in South Africa.

South Africa has unprecedented levels of violence and many South African women are exposed to violence during their lifetime. This article explores how gender and disability intersect in women's experiences of violence during their lifetime. Repeat in-depth qualitative interviews with 30 physically disabled women in Cape Town reveal that women with physical disabilities are exposed to various forms of violence, and shows how their impairments shape their violence experiences. The most common forms of violence women with disabilities experience are psychological violence, financial abuse, neglect, and deprivation, with disability stigma playing a central role and contributing to how women with disabilities are exploited and dehumanized. Constructions of women as asexual shape their sexual relationships and experiences of sexual violence. This article identifies that women with disabilities are more at risk and experience additional layers of violence than women without disabilities. These additional risks and layers of violence need to be recognized and inform interventions to prevent and respond to violence against women with disabilities in the country. Prevention of violence against women with physical disabilities in South Africa needs to address the role of disability stigma that shapes the types of violence they experience, change gender norms, and create accessible and safe environments and economic empowerment opportunities.

Factores relacionados con el maltrato no institucional en residencias de personas mayores

IntroductionAbuse in elderly has dimensions not yet sufficiently explored. Particularly, little is known about the abuse or mistreatment suffered by old people in nursing homes, but where the origin is not, at least initially, institutional, since is perpetrated by external social agents not related to the nursing home. The lack of data in this area has led us to conduct this exploratory study, with the aim of assessing the prevalence of this non-institutional abuse. Material and methodsThe Elder Abuse Suspicion Index was administered to a total of 286 subjects belonging to the nursing homes from the «Mensajeros de la Paz» Association of Murcia. Cases of suspected abuse were referred to the social workers to confirm the diagnosis. ResultsInitially, 53 subjects (18.5%) suffered any kind of abuse, which was reduced to only 26 cases after one year. On the other hand, abuse appeared after admission in 20 subjects (7%). Precisely, this 7% might present what we called non-institutional abuse. Economic abuse was the most prevalent, followed by psychological, neglect, physical, and sexual abuse. The data showed a significant interaction between the different types of abuse. ConclusionsOur data provides evidence of a new scenario that must be addressed in a professional and social context, considering the environment where this mistreatment takes place. Health and social professionals must be sensitive to this reality, and should be informed and trained about the different ways to dignify the care of the elderly.