In my last two posts I discussed fraud of the elderly and wondered why they many times become a target. Yes, they do seem like perfect targets since man of them live alone and have monetary wealth that could be easily stolen. However, according to research on aging done by McCabe and Gregory, the elderly (age 65 or older) are actually at lower risks of crime than the general population. Yet, they are at more risks than their younger counterparts for crimes of robbery, intimidation, vandalism and forgery. [1]But why are the elderly a perfect target for these crimes?
When thinking about the difference crimes the elderly population is more at risk for we can come to many different reasons why they seem the perfect target. In the case of robbery, the elderly tend to have made their wealth already and so have more in savings, which makes them lucrative targets. Intimidation is probably the most obvious crime the elderly would be targeted for because of their fragility and inability to stand up for themselves. Vandalism on the other hand may not be as obvious, however, the older population tend to have more property making them have more assets for which to vandalize. Lastly, forgery is more likely to happen to the elderly because of their assets and their strong credit histories, which have been built up over decades. The elderly in many ways are perfect targets for crime, however contrary to my previous belief they are not more risk than the general population. However, society must continue to find ways in order to eradicate it all together.
McCabe, Kimberly A., and Sharon S. Gregory. "Elderly victimization: an examination beyond the FBI's index crimes." Research on Aging 20.3 (1998): 363+. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 27 Apr. 2011.
