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 and older encompasses subtle psychological manipulation to overt physical aggression. Verbal abuse, social exclusion, and financial exploitation are common tactics, especially in care homes and assisted living facilities, worsening vulnerability and isolation. Technology has opened the areas of psychological and social abuse to include cyberbullying.
Understanding the factors contributing to bullying among older people is crucial for effective prevention and breaking the cycle of perpetuation. Mental disorders, physical diseases, social isolation, ageism, and a lack of awareness contribute to an environment where bullying can emerge undetected. (9, 10, 11) Cognitive decline may play a role in both perpetration and vulnerability to impulsive and inadvertent bullying among older adults. Once bullied, elderly adults might learn and reenact this behavior, perhaps as a feeble way to reestablish self-empowerment or merely as a spiteful gesture.
Anger is a source contributing to bullying by elderly perpetrators, often as a defense to cover shame, embarrassment, and wrongdoing. While anger is a natural, universal response, it manifests in various forms and is often linked with subconscious feelings of guilt. Attention must be paid to the reality of older adults bullying peers and those younger than themselves, including children, adolescents, and other adults. Abuse often occurs in close families where secrecy and shame cover suspicions and reporting.
The consequences of bullying on elderly individuals are profound and multifaceted, affecting physical and mental well-being. Victims may experience health decline, anxiety, depression, and a diminished quality of life. Bullying can exacerbate existing health conditions, hastening deterioration in this vulnerable population. Notably, bullying on the elderly is traumatic to the older victim. It may become a source for its reenactment as a way to resolve the hurt, even though this perpetuates the problem.
Elderly adults perpetrating abuse on young individuals can expose them to physical, emotional, and sexual harm, as well as neglect, severely impacting children and adolescents with lasting effects such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). (12) Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive distressing memories, avoidance behaviors, hyperarousal, anxiety, heightened reactivity, and altered moods. Developmental milestones are challenged and may become confused, if not distorted. Again, if not therapeutically addressed and resolved, this bullying trauma may ingrain itself and be acted out on others pathologically. However, many bullied youngsters have successfully resolved these traumas. Some have even become professional therapists, empathetically helping others faced with such trauma. Post-traumatic growth is real and can foster resilience.
Elderly bullying is a growing issue that requires a proactive approach. In the digital age, cyberbullying has become a pervasive issue, manifesting across various platforms like social media, messaging apps, and online forums. It transcends age and touches both young and old, notably those in the teenage years. Cyberbullying uses popular social media platforms, including text messaging, online chatting, and gaming communities, to transmit harmful content, including false information, with the potential to embarrass or humiliate. Unforeseen emotional disasters can occur. As technology evolves, the challenge remains to foster a safer digital environment and combat cyberbullying, recognizing that some instances may even escalate into unlawful or criminal behavior.
Initiating awareness campaigns, educating the public and healthcare professionals, and prioritizing caregiver and eldercare staff training are essential. Attention to and interventions with the adolescent population exceed those directed to the elderly. Research, policy efforts, and societal attention are needed to combat elderly bullying comprehensively from the victim and perpetrator standpoint. For example, both the elderly and the youth exposed to such trauma must be identified.
Preventive measures, including awareness campaigns, identification, caregiver training, and support networks, must be implemented to foster a culture of respect and empathy for the well-being and dignity of children and older adults. (13, 14, 15) While not all seniors engage in bullying, it remains a significant concern challenging conventional views about stereotypes in this demographic.
To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.
References
1. Ruiz-Esteban, C., Méndez, I., Martínez-Ramón, J.P., García-Munuera, I.M. (2023). The Elderly as Victims and Perpetrators of Bullying, Anger, and Aggression. In: Martin, C., Preedy, V.R., Patel, V.B. (eds) Handbook of Anger, Aggression, and Violence. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98711-4_170-171
2. Martin, C. R., Preedy, V. R., & Patel, V. B. (Eds.). (2023). Handbook of anger, aggression, and violence. Springer Nature. (ISBN10: 3031315464; ISBN13: 9783031315466)
3. Boland, R. J., & Verduin, A. M. (2022). Geriatric Psychiatry. In R. J. Boland & A. M. Verduin (Eds.), Synopsis of Psychiatry. 12th ed., Wolters Kluwer, Philadelphia, Publisher; p. 805.
4. American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), (2022). https://www.aarp.org/work/careers/handling-office-bullies/
5. Boland and Verduin, Ibid, 903.
6. National Institute on Aging; https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/elder-abuse/elder-abuse#types.
7. Weissberg, K. (2022). Bullying among older adults: Not just a playground problem. OccupationalTherapy.com, Article 5560. Available at www.occupationaltherapy.com
8. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abuse-of-older-people Accessed December 28, 2023.
9. Regier DA, Myers JK, Kramer M, Robins LN, Blazer DG, Hough RL, Eaton WW, Locke BZ. The NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area program. Historical context, major objectives, and study population characteristics. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984 Oct;41(10):934-41. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790210016003. PMID: 6089692.
10. Boland and Verduin, Ibid, 804, 805.
11. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMMC). (2018). Chronic Conditions. Chronic Conditions Prevalence State/County Table: Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries 65 Years and Over, 2018. Found on the internet at https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/Chronic-Conditions/CC_Main
12. Shalev, A., Liberzon, I., & Marmar, C. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. N Engl J Med. 2017 Jun 22;376(25):2459-2469. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1612499. PMID: 28636846.
13. American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). (2017). Bullying among seniors (and not the high school kind): A prevention and surveillance resource for assisted living providers. Available at https://www.ahcancal.org/ncal/operations/Documents/Bullying Among Seniors.pdf
14. Bonifas, R. P. (2016). Bullying among older adults: How to recognize and address an unseen epidemic. Baltimore, MD: Health Professions Press.
15. “What is Cyberbullying.” (2021). https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Andrew Mitrovica
Mort Laitner
Rami G Khouri
Ali Fathollah-Nejad
Nikkei Editorial
visit website
