NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
Elder abuse is on the rise in Tennessee.
According to a report published by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, crimes against the elderly increased from 2009 to 2011. The study focused on crimes against persons and crimes against property where the victim of the crime was age 65 or older.
While the total number of all crime victims decreased 5 percent over the three-year period, the total number of elderly victims increased by 7 percent. The crime categories studied were robbery, burglary, assault and fraud.
All crimes were reported by Tennessee law enforcement agencies through the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System (TIBRS).
The elderly are often targets of fraud, identity theft, neglect and abuse. The Tennessee Adult Protection Act requires the reporting of adult neglect, abuse or exploitation.
Highlights of the "Crimes Against the Elderly Report" include:
- More than 6 percent of all reported victims were elderly
- Burglary is the most common crime committed against the elderly
- More than 46 percent of robberies against the elderly occur at home
- Nearly 13 percent of all reported fraud offenses were against the elderly
- 41 percent of all assault offenses against the elderly were committed by family members
- Males were two times more likely than females to commit crimes against the elderly
Click here for the full report: http://www.tbi.tn.gov/tn_crime_stats/documents/CrimesAgainstElderlyReport2009_2011.pdf
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