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Older people and crime

Introduction

In Australia at the present time there are about 2.3 million people, or 12 per cent of the population aged 65 years and over. Between 2011 and 2031, as the baby-boom generation has more of a demographic impact, this group of people will account for almost one-quarter of the total population. Older people are a very diverse group, mostly female, both poor and rich, urban and rural, healthy and less so, Australian and overseas born, to mention just a few characteristics.

Research into the issue of older people and crime has only been a serious endeavour over the past 20 years. The most consistent finding of all the research, both in Australia and internationally, is that older people are overwhelmingly less at risk of criminal victimisation than other age groups. However, it has commonly been asserted that despite this, older people tend to have higher levels of fear of crime than the general population. This apparent risk/perception paradox has dominated both research and the implementation of intervention strategies. To understand the intricacies associated with this paradox, it is therefore important when addressing criminal offences committed against older people to take into account the diversity of the aged population and the diversity of offences. Older people are no more vulnerable to "everyday" crimes such as burglary, robbery, and assault, but the potential for increased vulnerability is evident in the abuse of older people, both by family members and professional carers. While this includes the abuse of older people in private homes, it can also include negligence and fraud by professionals, especially health care professionals, legal professionals and finance industry professionals.

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