老人對於暴力行為界線認知之實證分析──以新竹某社區為例

An Empirical Study on Older Adults’Perceptions of Violent Behavior: Evidence from a Community in Hsinchu of Taiwan

隨著高齡化社會發展，老人遭受之暴力型態逐漸由身體侵害轉向心理、情感與經濟層面，惟現行制度多從法律定義出發，較少關注老人自身之暴力認知；基此，本文以新竹市某社區為研究場域，透過深度訪談13位高齡者，實證剖析老人對暴力行為之理解與判斷方式。研究發現，老人對暴力行為之認知並非僅限於行為本身，而係結合關係維繫、照顧依賴及生活經驗所形成之動態判斷歷程，多數受訪者能辨識經濟剝削、冷暴力與照顧忽視等現代常見暴力型態，然在家庭或照顧關係尚須維持之情境下，不論何種暴力型態，均往往因擔心關係破裂、顧及子女未來或公權力介入後，更激化立場的對立，而傾向淡化行為嚴重性，甚至選擇隱忍而非求助或通報；因此，本文認為現行以正式法律資源為核心之高齡防暴體系，難以有效回應老人保護機制，建議應強化社區層級之第一線緩衝及建構早期預警功能，將經濟安全與社交互動納入風險評估；同時相關社政機關亦應發展符合長者關係期待之非懲罰性介入或修復途徑，以補充現行制度之不足。

With population aging, violence experienced by older adults has increasingly shifted from physical harm to psychological, emotional, and economic forms. However, institutional responses remain largely grounded in legal definitions and often overlook older adults' own perceptions of violence. This study, conducted in a community in Hsinchu City, employs in-depth interviews with thirteen older adults to examine how they conceptualize and evaluate violent behaviors. Findings show that older adults' understandings of violence are shaped through a dynamic process involving relationship maintenance, caregiving dependence, and lived experience, rather than being limited to specific acts. While participants recognized contemporary forms of abuse such as economic exploitation, emotional neglect, and caregiving neglect, they frequently minimized their severity when such behaviors occurred within ongoing familial or caregiving relationships. This tendency was driven by concerns over relational rupture, family considerations, and fear of escalating conflict through formal intervention, leading many to endure in silence. The study argues that legal-centered elder abuse prevention systems are insufficient and recommends strengthening community-based buffering mechanisms, integrating economic and social dimensions into risk assessment frameworks. In addition, the government should develop non-punitive interventions and restorative approaches that align with older adults' relational expectations, thereby complementing and addressing the limitations of the existing system.