In the shadow of Tommy Trojan, students nibbled on snacks, snapped photos in front of a decorated sign  and brainstormed solutions to elder abuse. Individuals from the National Center on Elder Abuse had corralled these passersby to their table at Hahn Plaza Wednesday afternoon, eager to inform the USC community about recognizing elder mistreatment.

The Keck School of Medicine of USC manages the center, which was established in 1988.

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According to the World Health Organization, one in six individuals over the age of 60 experienced some form of elder abuse in community settings in the past year, and more than 60% of nursing home staff reported they perpetrated elder abuse in the past year. This can include psychological, physical, financial and sexual abuse.

The booth featured fliers about elder abuse as well as a wheel students could spin to receive donuts, candy or popcorn. The NCEA was distributing a recently developed handout about “Elder Abuse Prevention: What College Students Should Know.” Organizers hoped to spread awareness about the issue among students so they were better able to recognize signs of elder abuse.

“Elder abuse awareness and prevention applies to everyone across the age continuum,” said Lori Mars, an assistant professor of clinical family medicine, at the event. “Ageism is a factor that contributes to elder abuse or an environment in which elder abuse can occur. So, it’s important to be aware of these issues for all individuals, not just college students, but graduate students [and] professionals across the spectrum.” 

NCEA lists engaging with older adults, educating themselves about signs of abuse and reporting suspected abuse as ways students can prevent elder abuse. The booth also had a poster to which students attached stickers listing solutions to promote justice.

Organizers said the welfare of older adults impacts everyone, even if students may feel detached from the issue. The NCEA hopes to expand training to focus on specific schools at the University, Moon said.

“There are a number of professionals who are mandated reporters, who are required to report known or suspected abuse, and perhaps there are some students in those professions, as well …. It’s important to be aware of their reporting obligations,” Mars said. “Everyone has an interest in social justice and elder justice and making sure that older adults are treated with dignity.”

Nicholas Fields, a junior majoring in business administration and a volunteer at the booth, said students’ knowledge may be limited to their personal experience, and the booth expands their knowledge of wider issues.

“[Students] have their own anecdotal surrounding information, but they don’t really know how it affects some of the broader population,” Fields said. “What’s really good about this whole stand then [is] just letting people know that it’s not a standalone issue, and this happens quite frequently.”

Kimmy Moon, the project administrator at NCEA, said students may not understand the extent of elder abuse in society, believing it is limited to long-term living facilities. Moon said the majority of older adults do not live in long-term living facilities.

“The vast majority of older adults live in our own communities, in our neighborhoods, independently, which is also where the vast majority of elder abuse occurs,” Moon said.

Amir Bell, a senior majoring in business administration who stopped by the booth, said he didn’t know the issue was so common. He said he and other college students will be more aware of the issue as their parents age. 

The event was in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day which occurs June 15, which has been observed by the United Nations since 2006. Because most students will not be on campus in the summer months, the NCEA decided to conduct its event now. 

In the coming months, the NCEA will host a webinar and a social media campaign to raise awareness nationally. The whole month of June is Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month in California.

Keck conducts other research into elder abuse, and organizers said the school is currently developing and promoting interventions for medical professionals to recognize abuse when it appears in their practices.