Elders as Crime Victims and Their Perpetrators (Essay Sample)

Elders as Crime Victims and Their Perpetrators
Name:
Health Care
Tutor:
1/2/2015
Outline
Title: Elders as Crime Victims and Their Perpetrators
Thesis: It can be quickly pointed out that the elderly are particularly vulnerable to crime, therefore, they government should consider looking into their plight and involve them every step of the way.
1. Introduction
A. Describe how crime is perceived as an age battle
B. Thesis: It can be quickly pointed out that the elderly are particularly vulnerable to crime, therefore, they government should consider looking into their plight and involve them every step of the way.
2. Background Information
A. Describe the relationship between the elderly and victimization
B. Describe how old age is considered a sociological concern
C. State the relationship between politics and victimization
3. Body
A. Describe the various studies that have been conducted on the nature of criminal victimization to the elderly
B. Who are vulnerable and why?
1. State how the age of individuals determines the how vulnerable an individual becomes
2. State how vulnerability to crime is related to the gender of an individual
3. State how marginalization can contribute to the vulnerability of an individual to crime.
4. Conclusion
A. Dealing with Elderly Victimization
1. Health and homecare for the elderly will go a long way in looking into the plight of individuals.
2. Secured and special Housing for the elderly that will to some extent reduce their vulnerability to crime.
3. The government should implement policies that look into the issues of the elderly
Abstract
Elderly individuals in the society merit more criminological and sociological investigations especially in the western countries. This is so because the general population in these countries is ageing and this age group is increasing in size. This paper analyzes the issue of old age and its relation to crime. There is focus in the fear that the elderly have about crime and the relation of old age and victimization. The paper concludes by giving a practical solution to the problem which can be mainly done through allowing the elderly to take part in the formulation of policies that affect them and their welfare.
Elders as Crime Victims and Their Perpetrators
Introduction
The fight currently against crime is currently perceived as an age battle whereby young offenders prey on the older innocent members of the society. It can be quickly pointed out that the elderly are particularly vulnerable to crime, therefore, they government should consider looking into their plight and involve them every step of the way. Life experience of individuals throughout the life course has been a subject of concern in various countries especially in the United States and in the European criminology studies. Researchers are currently trying to study the relationship between older people and crime and victimization. Through deconstructing these relationship then it will become easier to understand the significance of ageing and the place that it has in disciplinary discourses and the actual experiences of criminal victimization (Box, Hale & Andrews, 1988). Old age can be considered as a significant sociological concern therefore it is the responsibility of criminologists to locate the inter-relationship between victimization and contemporary crime. In the political circles the victim concept is discoursed along non-liberal lines of social responsibility as opposed to the construction of victim.
There are various studies that have been conducted that attempt to study the extent, impact and nature of criminal victimization of the elderly. These studies have been making use of qualitative and quantitative techniques and various points can be derived as to the exact extent and nature of victimization to the elderly (Jones, 1987). It has been suggested that the elderly are not exactly at more risk of victimization than the other generation of individuals. Actually elder individuals are less victimized by other members in the society especially the younger generation, however, it is the young individuals who tend to complain more about their fear of crime much more. Even though there is no real connection between objective risk of victimization and the fear of being victimized (Box, Hale, & Andrews, 1986). The fear of crime is linked to a number of variables among them is vulnerability which can be closely associated with old age. As a result this means that there is a connection between fear of crime, vulnerability and old age.
In the current society where we are living in we are all haunted in our minds by the possibility that we could become the next victims of crime. This, however, has some variation depending on the age of an individual in the course of life. Some individuals in the life course may feel that they are cannot be able to protect themselves economically or physically and some may not be able to make a quick retreat from the scene of crime while others may feel that they cannot handle the emotional consequence or the physical consequences. The notion and fear of vulnerability can also be gendered. Researches that have been conducted by criminologists have pointed out that there are four groups of vulnerable individuals (Estes, Biggs & Phillipson, 2004). These groups are; women, the elderly, the poor and the ethnic minorities.
Elderly individuals who are over 75 years are considered to be the most vulnerable individuals in the society. These individuals are most likely living alone and even housebound, this individuals are more often than not physically frail and may not be able to defend themselves or retreat quickly in case they are attacked by a crime perpetrator. Some of the elderly individuals suffer from post mortem depression which need to be attended to before it manifests itself into other diseases. More over these old individuals have heard a lot of stories moving around about crimes this also adds on to the fear that these individuals may have, these factors justify the implementation of skilled nursing facility in every county or skilled nursing home care facility. The...