# University students’ experiences regarding elder abuse: Grounded Theory

## TL;DR

This study explores university students' understanding of elder abuse and proposes a theoretical model to guide educational and social interventions.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is a grounded theory model highlighting the need for educational interventions to address elder abuse through critical awareness and social morality.

## Key findings

- Participants identified various forms of elder abuse and their societal invisibility.
- Frailty and vulnerability of older adults were recognized as key risk factors.
- Educational and policy interventions were suggested to prevent elder abuse.

## Abstract

to interpret young university students’ experiences regarding elder abuse and develop a theoretical model.

a qualitative study, based on Strauss’ approach of Grounded Theory and Bauman’s theoretical framework, with theoretical saturation sampling, in which 34 university students from different areas were interviewed. Data processing used NVivo software. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee.

participants highlighted different types of elder abuse as well as their invisibility and trivialization in society. Older adults’ frailty and vulnerability were identified as risk factors, suggesting preventive strategies, including the inclusion of the topic in academic curricula, the promotion of healthy aging, and the strengthening of public policies.

the theoretical model developed highlights the urgent need for educational interventions based on a critical understanding of this problem, with an emphasis on human sensitivity and the morality of social interactions.

interpretar as vivências de jovens universitários sobre violência contra pessoa idosa e desenvolver um modelo teórico.

estudo qualitativo, baseado na abordagem straussiana da Teoria Fundamentada e no referencial teórico de Bauman, com amostragem por saturação teórica, em que foram entrevistados 34 universitários de diversas áreas. O processamento dos dados utilizou o software NVivo. O estudo foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa com Seres Humanos.

os participantes apontaram para diferentes formas de violência contra as pessoas idosas, bem como invisibilidade e banalização na sociedade. Identificaram-se a fragilidade e vulnerabilidade das pessoas idosas como fatores de risco, sugerindo-se estratégias preventivas, além da inclusão do tema nos currículos acadêmicos, promoção do envelhecimento saudável e fortalecimento de políticas públicas.

o modelo teórico desenvolvido aponta para necessidade urgente de intervenções educativas pautadas na compreensão crítica desse problema, com ênfase na sensibilidade humana e na moralidade das interações sociais.