Mistreatment of senior citizens may be more common than you think. According to a study published in the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 13% of seniors in the United States report various forms of abuse.

The National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project is the first population-based, nationally representative to ask older adults about their experience with mistreatment. Looking at survey data from over 3000 adults aged 57 to 85 who were living in the community, researchers found that the most common forms of mistreatment were verbal abuse, financial mistreatment, and physical abuse. Adults in their late 50s and 60s were more likely to report abuse, and women were twice as likely as men to report mistreatment. Of those who reported experience with mistreatment, 26% attributed responsibility to their spouse or partner and 15% attributed responsibility to their children. The remainder of the survey respondents said they were mistreated by friends, neighbors, co-workers, or bosses.

As the population of the United States ages, the treatment of older adults is becoming an ever more important public health issue. Seniors with physical impairments seem to be most vulnerable to verbal abuse. The findings of this study highlight the importance of understanding how people are being treated as they get older in order to better educate the public on caring for their loved ones as they age.