Elder
Sexual Abuse Law Enforcement Training Curriculum
 The
Hidden Victim
Elder
victims of sexual assault are often “hidden”
in our society. The sexual assault of older individuals
often goes undetected and most often comes to light
when another crime is being investigated.
Although there has been very little research done on
this topic, the information that exists indicates that
nationally at least 18 percent of women who are raped
each year are aged 60 or older. As with many studies
regarding rape, this is probably a very conservative
estimate, particularly considering another study that
estimates only 30 percent of elder victims report the
crime. This is especially relevant in Florida where
the largest proportion of people 65 years and older
reside compared to anywhere else in the United States.
In response to this problem, the Violence Against Women
Office of the U.S. Department of Justice awarded FCASV
a grant to develop training for law enforcement officers
on elder sexual assault. FCASV developed a daylong training
curriculum and successfully piloted it in the Tampa
and Lake City areas. These pilot projects were marketed
and coordinated by project partners APPLE services of
the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay and the North Central
Florida Sexual Assault Center in Lake City.
The curriculum covers topics such as recognizing, responding
to, and investigating elder sexual assault. The training
is interactive, and case studies based on real crimes
are used to give the officers practice in applying the
information they learn.
FCASV presented the training across the state to law
enforcement officers. Before this training curriculum
was developed, there was no specific training available
for law enforcement officers on sexual assault of older
citizens. Since investigators of other crimes against
elders are often in the best position to detect sexual
assault, it is very important for them to receive training
so they can recognize the signs.
Although this particular training is targeted at a law
enforcement audience, it can be modified and shortened
for sexual violence programs or for other audiences
in the allied professions. The curriculum includes a
trainer's guide, a participant's guide and PowerPoint
presentations. Access the materials and download by
clicking on the links below. You will need Acrobat Reader
to open the .pdf files and Microsoft PowerPoint to open
the .ppt files.
To download Acrobat Reader, go to the Adobe web site:
http://www.adobe.com.
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