F.B.I. Law Enforcement Bulletin - "Protecting the Elderly from Financial Abuse."

The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin -
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Over the years, a shift in law enforcement priorities, as well as an increase in general awareness, has made most officers familiar with the concepts of spousal abuse and child abuse. Still, the term elder abuse raises questions among even the most seasoned law enforcement officers. From physical, emotional, or sexual abuse to financial exploitation, approximately 818,000 elderly individuals are victimized annually.

Furthermore, experts estimate that only 1 in 10 cases of elder abuse gets reported.(1) Many elderly citizens must contend with a variety of health problems that limit their physical or mental functioning. Some become bedridden and cut off from normal contact with the rest of the world. At the same time, mental limitations leave many older citizens highly vulnerable to various forms of abuse.

Please go to http://www.fbi.gov/publications/leb/1997/decleb.pdf