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Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2019 Feb 11;82:120-127. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

Objectives: To identify risk and protective factors associated with elder abuse among older Chinese with cognitive and physical impairment in the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Methods: 1002 dyads of care recipients and family caregivers were interviewed.

Results: The mutually reported rates were 9. Read More

J Gen Intern Med 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Family Medicine and Geriatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Background: Standardization in tools and documentation of child abuse and intimate partner violence have proven helpful in completely documenting injuries and suspected abuse among these populations. Similar tools do not yet exist for older adults and elder abuse.

Objective: To (1) use insights from experts to develop a tool to assist clinicians in appropriately and completely documenting physical findings in injured older adults for potential future forensic investigation of abuse or neglect and (2) to assess the feasibility of incorporating this tool into clinical practice. Read More

J Elder Abuse Negl 2019 Feb 10:1-18. Epub 2019 Feb 10.

d Department of Radiology , Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston , MA , USA.

Pediatric radiologists play a key role in the detection of child abuse through the identification of characteristic injury patterns. Emergency radiologists have the potential to play an equally important role in the detection of elder physical abuse; however, they currently play little to no part in this effort. We examine the reasons behind this limited role, and potential strategies to expand it, by interviewing attending faculty from Emergency Radiology, Geriatrics, Emergency Medicine, Pediatric Radiology, and Pediatrics. Read More

PLoS One 2019 8;14(2):e0211806. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

College of Nursing at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.

This study analyses the multiple abuse against older adults reported to the elder abuse police units of three Brazilian cities from 2009 to 2013. This is a longitudinal and retrospective study carried out through the analysis of police reports (PRs) in the elder abuse police units of three Brazilian cities: Ribeirão Preto (SP), Teresina (PI), and João Pessoa (PB). Descriptive statistical analysis consisted of absolute and percentage frequencies. Read More

Gerontol Geriatr Med 2019 Jan-Dec;5:2333721418823605. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.

To provide information relevant for detecting potential self-neglecting elders in a Spanish population. This study analyzed the records of 269 social services clients. They were classified in three groups: presumed adequate treatment (AT), at increased risk of abuse (RA), and at increased risk of self-neglect (SN). Read More

Health Care Women Int 2019 Jan 30:1-16. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

a Department of Health Education and Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences , Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.

We aimed to explore the meaning of elder abuse and its sociocultural factors from the perspectives of Kurdish older people. We purposively selected the participants, 38 female and 17 male, from a rural area in Boukan country, Iran. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions and were analyzed applying conventional content analysis. Read More

Cien Saude Colet 2019 Jan;24(1):87-96

Departamento de Estudos sobre Violência e Saúde Jorge Careli, Fiocruz. Rio de Janeiro RJ Brasil.

This cross-sectional study was carried out in Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and aimed to identify the prevalence and factors associated with familial violence perpetrated by caregivers against elderly dependents. A sample of 135 pairs was evaluated using instruments to assess both caregivers (social support, alcoholism, burden, violence) and elders (depression, cognition, functional capacity). Statistical tests compared the percentages of reported violence according to the characteristics of caregiver and elders. Read More

Intern Emerg Med 2019 Jan 29. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.

With ageing population the number of elderly vulnerable to abuse is expected to grow. Hospital personnel play a crucial role in identifying mistreatment. The aim of this study was to establish the level of awareness and perception of elder abuse by healthcare workers, and to understand if they are able to recognize and properly report elder abuse, as well as to identify the physical signs of abuse and neglect. Read More

Semin Ultrasound CT MR 2019 Feb 13;40(1):18-24. Epub 2018 Oct 13.

Department of Radiology, SG Moscati Hospital, Aversa Caserta, Italy.

Emergency department assessment is a critical opportunity to identify elder abuse and violence against women, which represent a growing problem, requiring the attention of health care systems. Elder abuse is most frequently perpetrated by family members because of the higher levels of stress, burnout, and financial problems affecting the caregivers that can even lead to deadly consequences. Intimate partner violence is defined as physical, sexual, or psychological harm caused to another by a current or former partner or spouse, and can range from a single acute hit to chronic battering, varying in frequency and severity. Read More

Rev Esc Enferm USP 2019 Jan 21;53:e03417. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Universidade Federal do Piauí, Departamento de Enfermagem, Teresina, PI, Brazil.

Objective: To analyze economic-financial and patrimonial cases of elder abuse, recorded in the specialized police station for security and protection of the elderly of a capital city in the northeast region of Brazil.

Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out with data extracted from police reports and inquiries recorded in the abovementioned police station. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out by means of Pearson's chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, and multivariate logistic regression. Read More

J Bioeth Inq 2019 Jan 22. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, 3rd Floor Samuels Building, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.

For decades, aged care facility residents at risk of pressure ulcers (PUs) have been repositioned at two-hour intervals, twenty-four-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week (24/7). Yet, PUs still develop. We used a cross-sectional survey of eighty randomly selected medical records of residents aged ≥ 65 years from eight Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) to determine the number of residents at risk of PUs, the use of two-hourly repositioning, and the presence of PUs in the last week of life. Read More

BMJ Open 2019 Jan 21;9(1):e022736. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Introduction: Older adults are the fastest growing age group in Canada. Elder abuse has significant individual and societal implications, so it is critical to address. While interest in this topic is increasing, little is known about the risk factors for elder abuse in immigrant communities in Canada, or about culturally relevant strategies to address these risk factors. Read More

PLoS One 2019 14;14(1):e0210916. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone. Read More

J Grad Med Educ 2018 Dec;10(6):657-664

Background: Geriatric patients account for a growing proportion of dermatology clinic visits. Although their biopsychosocial needs differ from those of younger adults, there are no geriatrics training requirements for dermatology residency programs.

Objective: This study explored the state of geriatrics education in dermatology programs in 2016. Read More

Front Psychiatry 2018 18;9:599. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

EQUIDE Research Institute for Equitable Development, Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, Mexico.

Elder abuse is a common phenomenon with important effects on the health and well-being of older adults. There are important gaps in elder abuse measurement, as it is usually reported as the absence or presence of elder abuse, disregarding its severity and frequency. Identify different ways of measuring severity and frequency of elder abuse and assess whether different experiences of severity and frequency suggest syndemic relationships. Read More

Asian J Psychiatr 2019 Jan 27;39:120-127. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Kermanshah University of Medical Science, Kermanshah, Iran. Electronic address:

Background: In the past century, elder abuse has become an important health issue and a stressful event that negatively affects the physical and mental health of the elders.

Aims: Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence of elder abuse in Iran through systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: All articles about elderly abuse in Iran since 2005-2017 were searched using the Google Scholar search engine, four Iranian databases (Magiran, IranMedex, SID) and six international English language databases(Web of Science, Cochrane, Scopus, Pubmed, Science Direct-Embase) with keywords of Elder Abuse, Elder Mistreatment, Elder Neglect, Abuse and a combination of these keywords. Read More

J Elder Abuse Negl 2019 Jan 7:1-17. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

a Center for Mental Health Education, Faculty of Psychology , Southwest University , Chongqing , China.

The present study aimed to clarify whether it is credulity or general trust that specifically affects vulnerability to fraud, as well as investigating the mediating role of susceptibility to persuasion and the moderating role of greed in this relationship. 254 Chinese older adults completed measures of credulity, general trust, susceptibility to persuasion, greed, and vulnerability to fraud. The results showed that credulity, but not general trust, was positively correlated with vulnerability to fraud, after controlling for demographic covariates. Read More

J Elder Abuse Negl 2019 Jan 7:1-17. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

d Women's Mental Health and Aging Core, Sierra Pacific MIRECC , VA Palo Alto Health Care System , Palo Alto , CA , USA.

Objective: To pilot test the feasibility of implementing an elder abuse (EA) screening tool (DETECT) designed for medics.

Methods: Testing occurred between September 17th, 2015 and October 26th, 2015. MedStar Mobile Healthcare medics completed the DETECT tool when responding to calls for community-dwelling patients 65 years of age or older. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019 Jan 1;16(1). Epub 2019 Jan 1.

Department of Nursing, Dong-a College of Health, Yeongam-gun 58439, Korea.

Background: We examined gender differences in the prevalence estimates and correlates of elder abuse in a community-dwelling older population in Korea.

Methods: We analyzed responses from the Living Profiles of Older People Survey (LPOPS), which comprises a nationally representative sample of non-institutionalized Korean older adults living in the community. A total of 10,184 older persons (4179 men and 6005 women) were included in the analysis. Read More

J Dent Educ 2019 Jan;83(1):39-47

Rebel L. Chapa, MSDH, RDH, is Instructor, Department of Dental Hygiene, Tarrant County College, and was an MSDH student, UT Health San Antonio at the time of this study; Beatriz M. Hicks, MA, RDH, is Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Periodontics, UT Health San Antonio; Thomas J. Prihoda, PhD, is Professor, Department of Pathology, UT Health San Antonio; Lynn A. Smiley, MEd, RDH, is Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Periodontics, UT Health San Antonio; Lisa M. Englehart, MSDH, RDH, is Associate Professor, Department of Dental Hygiene, Tarrant County College; and Melanie V. Taverna, MSDH, RDH, is Director of Dental Hygiene Online Graduate Programs and Assistant Professor/Clinical Faculty, Department of Periodontics, UT Health San Antonio.

Research published in 2002 reported limited elder abuse training in U.S. dental hygiene curricula although its importance has increased with an aging population. Read More

J Interpers Violence 2018 Dec 31:886260518821456. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

1 Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.

Elderly sexual abuse has been almost completely ignored from researchers and practitioners alike. However, the occidental population is aging and living longer, suggesting that the number of cases of elderly sexual abuse should increase. Moreover, elderly sexual assaults have been described as being more violent, resulting in more severe injuries, and are more frequently committed by strangers, making criminal investigations more difficult to solve. Read More

Nurs Ethics 2018 Dec 28:969733018819124. Epub 2018 Dec 28.

University of Hull, UK.

Background:: Psychological abuse of older people is difficult to recognise; specifically, nursing home residents have been documented to be at higher risk of psychological abuse during daily care, such as during feeding. Healthcare professionals adopt positive and negative verbal prompts to maintain residents' eating independence; however, negative prompts' purposes and implications have never been discussed to date.

Research Aims:: To critically analyse negative verbal prompts given during mealtimes as forms of abuse of older individuals and violation of ethical principles. Read More

Gerontologist 2018 Dec 20. Epub 2018 Dec 20.

National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Western Australia.

Background And Objectives: Without an effective screening tool, accompanied by clear guidelines of what to do when elder abuse is suspected, health workers may face challenges when asking questions about elder abuse. This study aimed to find the most effective and acceptable existing elder abuse screening tool and to create guidelines for using the tool.

Research Design And Methods: A rapid review of the literature identified existing validated elder abuse screening tools. Read More

J Law Med 2018 12;26(2):494-509

School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW, Sydney.

The prevention of elder abuse is a health priority around the globe. The Australian Law Reform Commission's 2017 report on Australian residential aged care facilities found that neglect may constitute elder abuse and that painful pressure ulcers (PUs) fall into this category. The purpose of this article is to examine deaths from PUs in elders 65 years and older. Read More

J Elder Abuse Negl 2018 Dec 20:1-14. Epub 2018 Dec 20.

d Research Division , Hebrew Home at Riverdale; RiverSpring Health , New York , New York , USA.

Older adults with cognitive impairment are a population at great risk for financial exploitation. At-risk older adults often have difficulty reporting on their own financial abilities. Collecting information from trusted others is vital for professionals investigating the financial exploitation older adults. Read More

Front Public Health 2018 4;6:358. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Science, School of Medicine, Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.

The concern about elder abuse increases as the global population ages. Elder abuse is a global public health, human rights, and criminal justice problem that goes beyond socioeconomic classes and regions. It remains understudied, especially in developing countries with limited resources. Read More

Int Psychogeriatr 2018 Dec 7:1-5. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Department of Psychology and Pedagogy, School of Medicine, Universidad San Pablo-CEU,CEU Universities,Madrid,Spain.

ABSTRACTRecent approaches in the care of older people have led to a greater emphasis on good practices to prevent elder abuse. The instruments assessing good practices are very limited, and those focused on elder abuse have rarely considered subtle forms, especially in institutional settings. The aim of this study was to develop and assess the content validity of a good practices scale for professionals working in nursing homes. Read More

J Am Geriatr Soc 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Background: Most dementia care occurs in the community with support from informal caregivers who are often distressed. Dementia caregiver distress is known to be hazardous to the caregiver's health, but the impact on the dementia care recipient is not well known.

Methods: We searched the Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases from inception until June 2017 for studies investigating the association of informal caregiver distress with health outcomes of community-dwelling dementia care recipients. Read More

Indian J Psychol Med 2018 Nov-Dec;40(6):528-533

Department of Psychiatry, M. P. Shah Government Medical College, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.

Context: Elder abuse has devastating consequences such as poor quality of life, psychological distress and loss of property and security. Abuse of elderly patients with depression has not been adequately researched in India.

Aims: To explore the prevalence and predictors of abuse and its relation to various sociodemographic variables in elderly patients with depression. Read More

Indian J Psychol Med 2018 Nov-Dec;40(6):507-508

Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala, India.

J Elder Abuse Negl 2018 Nov 18:1-18. Epub 2018 Nov 18.

a The Open University , Milton Keynes , UK.

With increasing visibility of older lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people, there is an urgent need to understand abuse in their lives. This is an under-researched area, which this scoping study (based on a literature review and a small subset of data taken from a larger project) serves to demonstrate. The content of this article formed the basis of a paper presented at a workshop on 'LGBT Elder Abuse' held at Keele University(UK) in 2017, convened and chaired by the author. Read More

Aging Ment Health 2018 Nov 17:1-5. Epub 2018 Nov 17.

a College of Nursing , Medical University of South Carolina , Charleston , SC , USA.

Objectives: Past year elder mistreatment rate is about 11% of community residing older adults, with significant demographic-based variations in prevalence. However, very little research on demographic variable-based differences in correlates of elder abuse, such as mental health, exist. The National Elder Mistreatment Study 8-year follow-up (NEMS II) specifically investigated the relation between demographic factors and the presence of these correlates (i. Read More

J Elder Abuse Negl 2018 Nov 15:1-19. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

b Faculty of Psychology. Department of Basic Psychology , Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioural Sciences, University of Salamanca , Salamanca , Spain.

Dementia is a neurocognitive disorder that implies a risk factor of maltreatment by family caregivers. In this study, we analyzed both informal caregiver's perceptions of maltreatment and aspects of the caregiver and caregiving behavior that may be associated with maltreatment. We conducted five focus groups (FGs) in three Spanish cities: Segovia, Soria and León. Read More

Epidemiol Health 2018 10;40:e2018055. Epub 2018 Nov 10.

Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Safety, Environmental and Occupational Hazards Control Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Objectives: Elderly people are often abused in many ways, with serious and lasting consequences. Elder abuse remains one of the most hidden forms of family conflict, and its frequency is anticipated to be rising in many countries that are rapidly experiencing population aging. The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of domestic elder abuse in elderly women in Tehran, Iran and to identify associated factors. Read More

Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2019 Feb 13;27(2):100-108. Epub 2018 Sep 13.

Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (OA, JLS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA; Boston University School of Public Health (JLS), Boston, MA.

Objectives: To inform geriatric mental health policy by describing the role of behavioral healthcare providers within a geriatric patient-aligned care team (GeriPACT), a patient-centered medical home model of care within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), serving older veterans with chronic disease, functional dependency, cognitive decline, and psychosocial challenges, and/or those who have elder abuse, risk of long-term care placement, or impending disability.

Methods: The authors used mixed methods, consisting of a national survey and site visits between July 2016 and February 2017, at VHA outpatient clinics. The participants, 101 GeriPACTs at 44 sites, completed surveys, and 24 medical providers were interviewed. Read More

J Elder Abuse Negl 2018 Nov 8:1-18. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

a Research Division , Hebrew Home at Riverdale, RiverSpring Health , Bronx , NY , USA.

Barriers for enhanced detection, identification, and reporting of elder abuse include the paucity of appropriate, valid, easily administered screening tools. This article describes the qualitative methods used in the development of the Weinberg Center Risk and Abuse Prevention Screen (WC-RAPS), and of its Spanish version. Focus groups and cognitive interviews were instrumental in identifying problematic items, underscoring potential response errors, and informing about putative causes for divergent interpretations of item-intent. Read More

J Elder Abuse Negl 2018 Nov 8:1-13. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

b Institute of Gerontology , Wayne State University , Detroit , MI , USA.

Adult Protective Services (APS) professionals are often called on to assess decision-making capacity when investigating financial exploitation. Previous research found that in consecutive APS cases, a decision-making screening scale (LFDSS) also detected financial exploitation. The purpose of this study was to apply the clinical cutoff scores derived from the previous study to a new sample of APS cases. Read More

Cureus 2018 Aug 23;10(8):e3193. Epub 2018 Aug 23.

Internal Medicine, Blake Medical Center, Bradenton, USA.

Objective To evaluate the demographic predictors of major depressive disorder (MDD) in hospitalized congestive heart failure (CHF) patients and measure the differences in hospital stay and cost per comorbidities and the associated risk of in-hospital mortality. Methods This retrospective cross-sectional study used nationwide inpatient data from the healthcare cost and utilization project (HCUP). We identified patients with CHF as the primary diagnosis and MDD as the secondary diagnosis using ICD-9-CM codes and compared with the CHF patient without MDD. Read More

Clin Geriatr Med 2019 Feb 5;35(1):103-113. Epub 2018 Oct 5.

Department of Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville, 655 West 8th Street, Jacksonville, FL 32209, USA. Electronic address:

Elder abuse is generally defined as the maltreatment of individuals over the age of 60, although no precise definition exists in the literature. Types of abuse include, but are not limited to, psychological/emotional, physical, sexual abuse, and financial exploitation. Certain risk factors exist leaving an individual more susceptible to abuse, and many obstacles exist preventing the elimination of abuse. Read More

PLoS One 2018 1;13(11):e0206640. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Health Sciences, Kobe University, Japan.

It is generally agreed that healthcare workers are ideally positioned to recognize and diagnose cases of elder abuse. However, little is known about their knowledge and understanding of this issue. The objective of this study was to assess and compare the perceptions of different groups of healthcare workers toward elder abuse in Japan, using the Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior (KAB) model. Read More

J Elder Abuse Negl 2018 Oct 30:1-10. Epub 2018 Oct 30.

c Goldfarb School of Nursing , Barnes Jewish College , St. Louis, Missouri , USA.

The purpose of this brief is to present several case vignettes that illustrate omissions in the investigation of elder deaths. These vignettes demonstrate the need for a standardized approach in the conduct of medicolegal investigations of fatal elder abuse. For each of the described oversights, a recommendation is offered to address the gap in investigation processes, which in turn could improve the determination of cause and manner of elder death. Read More

Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2019 Feb 27;34(2):299-307. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Mental Health Center Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

Objective: To explore the abuse risk and related important determinants among older people with dementia in central China.

Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, a sample of 158 family caregivers of older people with dementia was conveniently recruited from the Clinical Medicine Research Center of Dementia and Cognitive Impairment in Hubei Province, China. A social-demographic questionnaire, the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI), and the Caregiver Abuse Screen (CASE) were used for data collection. Read More

J Elder Abuse Negl 2018 Oct 25:1-11. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

c Department of Education and Psychology , CINTESIS (Center for Health Technology and Services Research) University of Aveiro , Aveiro , Portugal.

This study explores patterns of resident-to-resident elder mistreatment (R-REM) in Portuguese Residential Structures for Elderly People (ERI: Estruturas Residenciais para Idosos). Results display a serious situation of R-REM, which occurs in different patterns. Read More

JAMA 2018 10;320(16):1688-1701

RTI International-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center.

Importance: Intimate partner violence (IPV), elder abuse, and abuse of vulnerable adults are common and result in adverse health outcomes.

Objective: To review the evidence on screening and interventions for IPV, elder abuse, and abuse of vulnerable adults to inform the US Preventive Services Task Force.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and trial registries through October 4, 2017; references; experts; literature surveillance through August 1, 2018. Read More

JAMA 2018 10;320(16):1718

Span J Psychol 2018 Oct 25;21:E43. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Centro Universitario Cardenal Cisneros (Spain).

The objectives of this study were to replicate the analyses conducted by the creators of the Indicators of Abuse (IOA) Screen with a Spanish sample group and compare the results, to present new validity evidences, to analyze which items were more relevant in the detection of situations of risk of abuse, and to establish a cut-off point to interpret the obtained scores. The IOA was used by 46 professionals from social services teams who assessed the situation of 231 elderly individuals and their main caregivers. The obtained results advocated towards unidimensionality of the scale. Read More

J Elder Abuse Negl 2018 Oct 22:1-24. Epub 2018 Oct 22.

d The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Justice , Hebrew Home at Riverdale , Bronx , NY , USA.

While several elder abuse screens exist, few measure risk and none target long-term support services. The aims were to examine the psychometric properties of the Weinberg Center Risk and Abuse Prevention Screen (WC-RAPS), comparing approaches to modeling self-reported risk and abuse in relation to reported Adult Protective Services contacts.

Methods: The sample (n = 7,035), admissions to managed long-term care (79%) and short-term rehabilitation (20%), was primarily (66%) female, with mean age 77. Read More

BMC Int Health Hum Rights 2018 10 19;18(1):39. Epub 2018 Oct 19.

Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SH, UK.

Smaller groups of victims of violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation - such as male victims of intimate partner violence (IPV), victims of elder abuse, victims of abuse by carers, victims of parent abuse, victims of human trafficking, girls and boys below 18 years engaging in sex work, victims of sexual exploitation by gangs or groups and victims of honour based violence (such as forced marriages and female genital mutilation) - are often in contact with the health care system without being identified as such and frequently do not receive appropriate treatment. To address this problem, two things need to happen: 1) that ALL groups of victims of violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation are explicitly listed in policies and protocols, and 2) that both the similarities as well as the differences between the groups with regard to identification, support and referral - described in this article - are explained, so that health providers are appropriately supported in this important function. Read More