Last year, cases of elder abuse totaled 7,167, doubling from a decade ago. The proportion of perpetrators aged 60 and older among elder abuse offenders also increased to 56.8% last year, up 16.5 percentage points from ten years ago. As society becomes super-aged, abuse of the elderly is on the rise.
◇Last year, 7,167 elder abuse cases…increased for 12 consecutive years
The upcoming 15th is "Elder Abuse Prevention Day." The government designated it as a national memorial day in 2017 to protect the rights of the elderly and prevent elder abuse.
However, reports suspected of elder abuse are increasing every year. Since surpassing 10,000 cases for the first time in 2013, they exceeded 20,000 in 2023. According to a report on the status of elder abuse released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 13th, there were 22,746 suspicious elder abuse reports last year.
Among the suspected reports, actual cases determined to be elder abuse were recorded at 7,167 last year. After first surpassing 4,000 cases in 2016, the numbers increased to 5,188 in 2018, 6,259 in 2020, and 7,025 in 2023.
The actual number of elder abuse cases may be higher than the statistics suggest. A staff member at a care facility noted, "Even if an elder abuse victim reports the issue, the victim sometimes denies the abuse itself." This indicates a tendency to conceal abuse due to family issues.
◇The largest group of elder abuse perpetrators is aged 70 and older
As of December 23 last year, the population aged 65 and older accounted for 20% (10,244,500 people) of the total population, marking Korea as a super-aged society.
Consequently, the age of elder abuse perpetrators has also increased. A decade ago, in 2014, those in their 40s and 50s comprised the largest percentage at 49%. Last year, however, among elder abuse perpetrators, those aged 70 and older numbered 7,881, making up 34.7% (2,734 individuals), the highest among all age groups. Including those in their 60s (1,743 individuals), the total rises to 56.8%.
The rise in elder abuse is anticipated. The Ministry of Health and Welfare stated in its 2014 report on elder abuse, "The increase in perpetrators of elder abuse is seen as a phenomenon arising from the higher average life expectancy of seniors," adding that "this trend is expected to continue with aging and thus urgent measures are needed."
Experts emphasize the need for proactive measures to tackle elder abuse. Kim Yun-tae, a professor at Korea University, said, "It is essential to actively invest resources to identify and counsel families affected by elder abuse."
Koo Jeong-woo, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University, also said, "It is necessary to create an environment where elder abuse victims can report actively and to increase home visits and counseling for families suspected of elder abuse."