Family violence against elderly people. A persistent problem of our society

Abstract

Ageing is a process surrounded by stereotypes that determines the behaviors towards older people, whose manifestations can go from disdain to violence. Studies show that most cases of violence against older persons occur within families or in care units. In the local regulatory framework and some human rights instruments recognize the rights of older people to safety, to a life without violence and abuse, and the access to justice. In addition, these instruments enunciate the State’s obligation to give them preferential treatment in the administrative and judicial processes they participate. Based on those premises, this paper studies the categorization of violence against older people and its prevalence in Mexico City, the development of the concept of domestic violence through the jurisprudence of Mexican Supreme Court of Justice, the case of the specialized bureau for the attention of older persons who are victims of domestic violence, and the actions implemented under the Mexico City Human Rights Program as public policy.