Violence against elderly

An integrative review

Abstract

This study aimed to conduct an integrative review of scientific knowledge produced in Brazil between 2013 and 2017, emphasizing the descriptors violence and the elderly. The scientific productions were selected in the SciELO database with crossings of the descriptors used in the title of the articles, available online in full form, with the period limitation from 2014 to 2018, in Brazil collections and Portuguese language. The search in the database generated 26 articles, and ten of them were chosen for the final analysis after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The present integrative review showed that the central violence suffered was psychological, along with physical violence, with the elderly being the main victims. The findings related to violence against the elderly and associated factors reveal a scenario that is most prevalent in the home, an environment where the belief of a welcoming, loving and protective nature of external violence is deposited. In contrast, the intrafamilial relationship emerges concomitantly as a generator of conflicts that expose the elderly to the risk of violence of a character veiled, caused by the constituents themselves, which requires high vigilance and notification. Violence is a social challenge. We must prioritize research, work, and discuss the abuse of older people in political circles and understand the best way to prevent and help implement the necessary measures.