According to US Census Bureau projections, there will be an
estimated 72 million people over the age of 65 in the USA by the
year 2030. Exposure to violence and crime victimization has
serious physical, emotional, mental, and economic consequences
for the growing older population in the USA. It should thus come
as no surprise that much sociological attention has focused more
on examining the correlates of violence for the older American
population. We intend to provide an overview of the typologies,
empirical research, and the pertinent factors associated with
older people and their exposure to violence. We then discuss
necessity to further research and our understanding of the
important social problem of the exposure of violence for older
people in the USA. In conclusion, implications of research
findings of how to address the vulnerabilities of older people
in relationship to their exposure to violence are discussed.