Reviews six studies of neglect and abuse of elderly persons in their homes. All of these investigations agree that a substantial but undocumented problem of domestic neglect and abuse exists; variety and severity of mistreatment ranges from reasonably benign to very severe, and causal theories are numerous. (WAS)

Theorists have suggested that domestic abuse may be a result of psychopathology in the abuser or the result of severe stress. To determine whether the families of aged victims exhibit an inordinate number of stressful situations, 20 elderly abuse victims were interviewed about family relationships and problems, and completed a modified version of…