Abuse against older adults and social work interventions: where do we stand? A scoping review to explore it from an international perspective

Abuse against older adults remains a partially hidden phenomenon in many European countries, and more effort is needed to promote their right to live free from abuse. Through the social work research lens, this article presents the findings of a scoping review on this topic. A total of 1,337 articles published between 2003 and 2023 were identified and reviewed using specific criteria, and 53 were selected. The quantitative analysis results suggest an increasing amount of research on the topic, with the prevalence of studies in non-European Union countries. Through qualitative analysis, the prevalent topics of the conducted studies were identified, with reference to the methodological choices, themes, subthemes and main findings. Considerations are offered for social work researchers, educators and practitioners who are interested in further developing sensitivities and competencies useful to plan and provide effective interventions for protecting and supporting older adults.