5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

The EAN phenomenon, ie. elder abuse and neglect is being rediscovered in the social sciences as a topic framed by human rights issues. As an important policy issue, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons Claudia Mahler defined the phenomenon as a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person. The active or passive act may or may not constitute a criminal offence and may be committed by individuals, institutions or society. Various definitions recognize these forms of abuse of older persons: (a) physical abuse; (b) psychological or emotional abuse; (c) sexual abuse; (d) financial or material abuse; (e) neglect and (f) hate speech against older persons.

Violence against older persons is a global phenomenon. It takes many different forms and occurs in all types of settings, including within families and in homes, the workplace, care institutions, public spaces, the media, cyberspace, and emergency settings. Such violence and abuse often go unnoticed and remain a taboo in many societies. In this session we focus on the theoretical and methodological challenges of investigating this phenomenon in contemporary societies and studies thematizing gendered, socio-economic perspectives and regional variation are welcome.