The issue of bullying extends beyond conventional age boundaries, challenging stereotypes that associate bullying primarily with the younger demographic. This article explores the prevalence, diverse forms, and consequences of bullying perpetrated by individuals aged 65 and older—elderly perpetrators as bullies. The aim is to expand and shift the focus from traditional perceptions of bullying, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and addressing instances where older individuals engage in such hateful behavior, creating a cycle of victimization known as elderly-perpetuated bullying that often includes modern technology. (1, 2)

The anti-bullying movement began in 1999 after the Columbine High School massacre. Since then, bullying research and interventions have been the domain of schools and adolescent groups. This article shifts the perspective to the elderly, for whom scholarship and research have produced sparse data.

Psychiatric textbooks define old or late adulthood as beginning at age 65. (3) Gerontologists categorize older adults into "young-old" (age 65), "old-old" (age 75), and "oldest-old" (age 85 ). Terms like "elderly," "older," and "senior" are used interchangeably. Recent research has uncovered instances of bullying among older people rooted in power imbalances, personal conflicts, psychological and medical factors, loneliness, and cognitive decline. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) reports workplace bullying among older adults, strongly suggesting an imminent need for management strategies. (4)

Bullying is defined as "the use of one's strength or status to intimidate, injure, or humiliate another person of lesser strength or status." (5) It can be physical, verbal, or social, denoting unwanted aggressive behavior with a repetitive quality. Bullying of older persons is a subset of elder abuse, violating human rights and encompassing physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, financial, and material abuse, abandonment, neglect, and loss of dignity. AARP statistics from 2015 report that 10 to 20 percent of older adults are bullied, highlighting the prevalence of this issue. (6, 7)

Elder abuse and bullying share similar features, with World Health Organization (WHO) statistics indicating a 15.7% overall prevalence of elder abuse, including psychological (11.6%) and physical (2.6%) abuse reported by older adults. (8) Bullying among individuals aged 65........

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