Dispelling Some Myths

In both child protection and elder abuse work there has been a tendency to stereotype the victim and abuser. The author examines the stereotypes that have developed regarding elder abuse victims and abusers, using findings and case studies from research carried out in Sheffield, England. The problem of gang abuse is also introduced. A commentary ends the paper in which the author makes the case for the development and implementation of elder abuse guidelines to be used by all professionals working with older people.