This study examined the proportion of Japanese older people who have heard of elder abuse and their perceptions of elder abuse by using data collected from a nationally representative sample of more than 4,000 Japanese older people in 1999. Approximately one half of the older people in this study had heard of elder abuse. Among those, about 18% knew elder abuse victims. Further, the definitions of elder abuse among these older people included psychological abuse, neglect, physical abuse, and financial abuse. Based on the study findings, it is strongly recommended that preventive measures as well as public education programs be implemented to help prevent, detect, and treat elder abuse in a timely manner.

Cultural factors may impact who an abuser is, but the contributing factors in this Japanese sample do not significantly differ from results found in other countries. Preventive strategies need to be targeted at multiple levels.

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