Understanding elderly violence

Considering that the interpretation of reality often guides our behavior, attitudes and practices we explored the social thoughts about the phenomenon of elderly violence conducting a comparative study with a sampled population of two countries: United States and Portugal. We present the results of a research using both qualitative and quantitative methodology that examined the social representations of elderly violence using the framework of Moscovici's Social Representation Theory. We analyzed two hundred and forty interviews from participants divided into three categories: elderly individuals, family members and health workers using the software ALCESTE. The results revealed the similarities and discrepancies of social representations of elderly violence for the subjects considering their cultural differences. In general, elderly violence was represented as something considered “evil” especially when associated with elderly individuals, a group seen as helpless, fragile, worthy of attention and affection. We highlighted the fact that elderly violence was also represented as an act towards individuals with diminished value for the society which lead us to question the aspect of motivation for elderly care. This apparent contradiction has resulted in a representation of violence as part of old age, and some how justified by it. Also identified, was a general attitude of acceptance towards elderly violence as health professionals and the society in general prepares to treat the problem and, not as we would like to mention, prevent it from happening.