According to the Ontario Provincial Police, elder abuse is defined as “Any action or inaction by any person that causes harm or threatens to cause harm to an elderly person. Since 2004, the General Social Survey (GSS) has shown that older people were three times less likely than non-seniors to experience victimization in the 12 months preceding the survey and that 10% of older people had suffered at least one victimization during the 12 months preceding the survey. . This shows that violence against the elderly has always been present in every society and its rate is only just beginning to increase. It is a subject that has generally been kept in the dark and it is only now that citizens around the world are beginning to realize that it is in fact a form of domestic violence and that it is not acceptable under any circumstances. This happens because older people become helpless and become dependent on someone, usually their family members. Rates of elder abuse are not what they were 10 years ago; they have increased and the rates of these abuses are between 2% and 10%. (Lachs, Mark S. and Karl Pillemer. 2004. “Elder Abuse”, The Lancet, Vol. 364: 1192-1263.). Violence against older adults varies from culture to culture and although it occurs all over the world, regardless of the According to the Canadian Center for Justice, few people knew it was happening, especially when victims they themselves remain silent out of fear. Elder abuse differs somewhat between cultures, but it is nonetheless unacceptable. According to the Canadian Center for Justice, the most common form of abuse. The elderly population in Canada experiences psychological abuse, followed by financial abuse (Canadian Center for Justice Statistics, 2001b). Yet other documents...... middle of document ......Domestic violence laws that include violence. within the family, criminal law which includes physical or sexual abuse, adult protection laws which help older persons meet their needs and adult guardianship laws which consider that an elder is not is not able to take care of themselves. So, these different laws apply to different circumstances. Our society is just beginning to understand what elder abuse is and how it affects us. Violence against the elderly occurs in many places. The rate of abuse is constantly increasing, as is the number of elderly people in the world. Many laws and supports have been developed for the safety of vulnerable people. Abused seniors around the world have different perceptions of what abuse is, but regardless of their culture, the first step would be to encourage seniors to speak out, know their rights and raise awareness about it. issue..