Perpetrators
Everyone is a potential perpetrator of elder abuse, even the elder himself/herself. Usually the abusers are the ones that are close to and trusted by elders, as they are responsible for providing care and support to them. They could be family members, professional caregivers from nursing homes, or even the victim themselves. (Identifying Potential Abusers, n.d.)Although the reason and purpose of the abuse varies and is uncertain, often it is because they get stressed and frustrated as they are unable to satisfy the elders' needs, and the abuse occurs so that they can release the stress. (Healthy Aging, n.d.)
40% of the abusers live with the victims and 26% of them are of age 40 - 49. Often, the abusers are most likely to be the children of the victims. As the elders have different diseases and conditions that make caregivers and family members hard to handle, they take advantage of the elders' vulnerability and hurt them. (Krienert, Jessie L., 2009)
Source: Elder Victimization Source: Elder Abuse in New Jersey