Background: During my visits to Peru to visit my father's family, I saw elders being cared for by the youth and treated with respect by their family members. This was a sharp contrast to what I viewed in the United States. Growing up I constantly witnessed elders being mocked and devalued by my peers. As I grew older and learned about the widespread epidemic of elder abuse in communities across the country, my concern for these individuals only deepened. I soon came to the realization that an elder abuse education was critical to develop an awareness of the issue and spread information about prevention strategies. Just as subjects like math and a foreign language are most easily learned and digested as youth, I felt elder abuse education should be directed at adolescents. When I failed to find any elder abuse education programs that were a part of my local school districts curriculum, I set out on a mission to develop resources directed towards teens. Through interning at the Santa Barbara District Attorney's Office, I created a elder abuse lesson plan for high school students. After disseminating these around the Santa Barbara area, I decided to expand the geographic distribution of elder abuse awareness among teens across the country through the creation of this website.
Need For The Program: Elder abuse education is currently directed almost exclusively towards elders and their caregivers. While this may seem logical, it doesn't address the fact that young people are often in contact with elders and are forming the beliefs they will hold for the rest of their lives. Many teenagers live in three generational families and are often around elders. It is important that adolescents are informed about how to recognize signs of elder abuse and what to do when they witness it. Furthermore, teenagers will soon be legal adults with responsibility. It is crucial that they be educated about the epidemic and taught about proper treatment of this vulnerable and growing population.