Differences in causal attributions of caseworkers and elderly clients in the USA: impact on case resolution and cessation of abuse

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper was to test whether differences in attributions between caseworkers and their elderly clients regarding the cause of reported elder abuse occurring in a domestic setting impact the ability of caseworkers to effectively intervene in elder abuse cases. Design/methodology/approach -Interviews were conducted with 63 pairs of caseworkers and either the elderly client with a substantiated report of elder abuse or their surrogate. Findings -Initially, 61.9 percent of the pairs of interviewees held discordant attributions regarding the cause of the elderly person's abuse. However, at the close of the investigation, only 41.3 percent of the pairs of interviewees held discordant causal attributions, with 13 elderly persons having changed their attributions to be in alignment with the caseworker. Discordant causal attributions at the close of the investigation was related to an inability to find a resolution and achieving cessation of abuse. Research limitations/implications -It will be beneficial to determine methods APS caseworkers can employ to narrow the causal attribution gap. Practical implications -Reconciling discordant causal attributions while maintaining victim autonomy can enhance the likelihood of effective interventions and lead to greater victim safety. However, this takes more time than most APS caseworkers in the USA are allowed by statute to allocate to one case and may necessitate statutory changes that accompany changes in practice. Originality/value -This is the first study to assess differences between caseworkers and their elderly clients regarding their causal attributions of reported abuse occurring and whether those differences are related to the likelihood of reaching a resolution and the cessation of abuse.

Getting the cues of elder abuse: an identification through dependency and modernization

“…EA (now onwards) is prevalent in every human society across the world (Jackson and Hafemeister, 2013;De Donder et al, 2011;Puchkov, 2006;Morbey, 2002;Payne et al, 2001). For exploring EA, the present study proceeds to the in-depth analysis of related literature.…”

Recognizing the Trauma Experienced by Community-Dwelling Older Victims of Financial Abuse Perpetrated by Trusted Others

“…There is evidence that professional service providers and older adults differ in their definitions of abuse (Phelan 2013), perception of the causes of abuse (Jackson and Hafemeister 2013a;Mihaljcic and Lowndes 2013), as well as the solutions (Mihaljcic and Lowndes 2013) and that such differences may be particularly pronounced among minority victims (Parra-Cardona et al 2007). Mihaljcic and Lowndes (2013) conducted a focus group study involving professional aging services, older adults, and younger adults.…”

All Elder Abuse Perpetrators Are Not Alike

“…If, however, you believe elder abuse perpetrators are deviant, then the criminal justice system is the intervention of choice (Pillemer, 2005). Unfortunately, little work exists on the underlying causes of elder abuse (let alone by type of abuse), which would inform theory development (Jackson & Hafemeister, 2013d). Relatedly, no research has sought to capture perpetrator’s underlying motivations which would also inform theory.…”