Purpose: To explore the often-understudied issue of elder abuse, identify and outline it in depth as a social problem, and explore solutions.

Instructions:

Perform your own research: it can be online sources, via interviews, data collection, etc. A list of some suggested possible resources is listed below, but others may be examined.

For full credit, students are expected to do the following in their paper

1) Identify at least 3 categories of elder abuse, and answer if you were familiar with them before starting this paper.

2) For at least 1 major category you identify (you may do more than 1), explore the issue in depth;

For example:

a. Why is this a social problem?

b. Find a source that estimates the magnitude of the problem.

c. Are certain people harmed more than others?

d. Do social systems make this more or less likely to happen?

e. Ideally, find an anecdote/story and briefly explore what abuse looks like.

3) Answer the following at least briefly using the sociological imagination: Why is the issue of elder abuse both a public and private problem?

4) Identify at least one proposed solution to the issue of elder abuse and answer the following: Is the solution a micro or macro level solution? Why? Do you agree that the solution might work? Why or Why not?

Answer these questions in a double spaced 3-4 page paper with 12pt Times New Roman font.