Abuse and Neglect Experienced by Aging Chinese in Canada

Abstract

The traditional values of Chinese culture promote care and respect toward older adults. While it appears to be ironic to discuss issues of abuse and neglect in the Chinese culture, research findings in Chinese societies do indicate the occurrences of such problems. However, little research on the abuse and neglect of older Chinese in Western societies has been available. This study aims to examine the incidence of abuse and neglect and the associated correlates based on data collected from a random sample of 2,272 aging Chinese 55 years and older in seven Canadian cities. The findings show that 4.5% of the participants reported experiencing at least one incident of maltreatment or neglect within the past year. The most common forms of neglect and abuse experienced by the aging Chinese include being scolded, yelled at, treated impolitely all the time, and ridiculed. Close family members such as spouses and sons are those that most commonly maltreat older Chinese. Those who were more likely to report at least one incident of maltreatment or neglect were older adults living with others; they tended to have no education, more access barriers, more chronic illnesses, less favorable mental health, and a higher level of identification with Chinese cultural values. The findings implied that the face value of respect and care received by older people in Chinese culture should not be taken for granted. Culturally appropriate precautionary steps are needed for prevention and early problem identification.

Exploring the Nature of Elder Abuse in Ethno-Cultural Minority Groups: A community-based participatory research study

“…The front-line workers expressed a wide variety of risk factors relating to the characteristics of the older adult that are consistent with other studies, including their mental / physical health status, social isolation, education, female gender, low financial resources, barriers to accessing services in the community, etc. (Choi & Mayer, 2000;Lai, 2011). These risk factors associated with the characteristics of older victims provide significant insights, as specific prevention and intervention strategies should be targeted towards older adults who are at a higher risk of being neglected or abused (Lai, 2011;Dong, Simon, & Gorbien, 2007).…”

“…(Choi & Mayer, 2000;Lai, 2011). These risk factors associated with the characteristics of older victims provide significant insights, as specific prevention and intervention strategies should be targeted towards older adults who are at a higher risk of being neglected or abused (Lai, 2011;Dong, Simon, & Gorbien, 2007).…”

“…Despite its increasing emergence in the literature, there remain vast gaps in our understanding of issues surrounding elder abuse. For example, conceptualizations of elder abuse within the literature often reflect a white, middle-class perspective (Moon & Benton, 2000) while the intersections of ethnicity, cultural factors, and immigration status are largely ignored (Lai, Daoust, & Li, 2014). In particular, scholars in the area have reviewed the literature and concluded that existing research on issues related to elder abuse in ethno-cultural minority communities is insufficient and inadequate (Lai, Daoust, & Li, 2014;Dong, 2014).…”

“…For example, conceptualizations of elder abuse within the literature often reflect a white, middle-class perspective (Moon & Benton, 2000) while the intersections of ethnicity, cultural factors, and immigration status are largely ignored (Lai, Daoust, & Li, 2014). In particular, scholars in the area have reviewed the literature and concluded that existing research on issues related to elder abuse in ethno-cultural minority communities is insufficient and inadequate (Lai, Daoust, & Li, 2014;Dong, 2014). This is concerning as experiences such as language barriers, social isolation, financial and emotional dependency, and the characteristics of the victim and perpetrator may all be factors related to the cause and maintenance of elder abuse among ethno-cultural minority groups (Podnieks, 2008).…”

“…Despite this recognition, very little is known about the experiences of elder abuse among people from diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds in Canada (Ploeg, Lohfeld, & Walsh, 2013). This gap in knowledge is problematic, as the limited amount of existing research indicates that ethnicity, immigration status, and cultural factors have significant influence on experiences of elder abuse, as well as on the recognition, identification, and prevention of abuse (Lai, Daoust, & Li, 2014;Dong, 2012b). Given this knowledge, it is imperative to develop a comprehensive understanding of the nature of elder abuse within various ethno-cultural minority groups in Canada.…”