From as early as our playground years, bullying has been part of the American social experience. Today, peer-on-peer aggression, harassment and ridicule have filled the Internet and traditional news wires with horrific reports of suicides and attacks among school-aged and college students. However, bullying is not reserved for the young or the young at heart. Over the past several years, peer-on-peer bullying among senior citizens has also been gaining national attention.

Consider the tragic death of Helmut Gutmann. Suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Gutmann died from complications that arose out of an altercation with another senior, Verne Gagne, a former professional wrestler. Gagne, now charged with murder, also suffered from Alzheimer's. In another example, a Chandler, Arizona, woman faced ridicule, harassment and exclusion at her retirement community, and a Pomona man was killed by a mentally disturbed peer in his nursing home. Across the United States, incidents and reports of this form of elder abuse are growing.

Combating the problem might be problematic. Almost six million senior citizens are the victims of abuse each year, whether at the hands of a caregiver or a peer at the nursing home. For every known or reported case, however, estimates are that five more go unreported. The reliability of victims to recall incidents, intimidation, and fear are all factors that affect reporting. Lack of governmental resources for investigations, nursing home staff neglect of bullying, and caregivers' lack of awareness of the signs of abuse are also factors.

Each of the 50 states has laws that are designed to protect elderly citizens from mistreatment. In Arizona, the Department of Health Services monitors matters involving nursing homes and other types of residential care facilities. Arizona law, as well as federal statutes, requires that nursing home residents not be subjected to discrimination, intimidation or coercion. The state provides a grievance procedure and a Long Term Care Ombudsmen Program, which assists seniors with complaints. In addition, the office of Arizona's Attorney General overseas an Elder Affairs Program, which handles matters involving elder abuse and neglect.

By 2020, around 12 million older Americans will need long-term services and support. As our nation's population continues to age, elder bullying, like teen bullying, will become a national public health and safety issue. Nursing home staff and caregivers that ignore bullying of one resident by other nursing home residents are breaking the law and risking the well-being of all residents. If nursing home bullying continues to be ignored, the plight of the Gutmann, Gagne and Lors families will become widespread. Contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney if you suspect your elderly loved one is the victim of peer bullying or abuse.