Elder abuse, while not a new phenomenon, has gradually gained more recognition as a social problem, with terminology and definitions changing during the past 30 years. Research has tended to be undertaken in more developed countries, but cultural, social, and economic differences between societies affect how researchers, organizations, and citizens view abuse. Consequently, the findings of incidence and prevalence studies differ. Elder abuse can occur for many different reasons; it can be the result of carers' stress but there is now more acknowledgment that perpetrators of abuse can deliberately target and groom their victims.