Abstract
This paper focuses on elder abuse caused by single, middle-aged unemployed sons living with their parents. The traditional life pattern for Japanese men is that they obtain work, get married and have children. However, there are a growing number of cases where men are fired from their jobs and become unemployed, then get divorced and then return to their parent’s home where they rely on parents’ pension. Additionally, there are cases where men leave their jobs due to caregiving responsibilities and live with their parents. Elder abuse in these domestic settings is not uncommon. This paper examines reasons for why elder abuse by sons happens and offers suggestions of how to solve these elder abuse cases including not only helping parents get out of the abusive situations, but also providing employment support for sons to become financially independent.