ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the occurrence of violence in the elderly and its associated factors in the city of Betim, Minas Gerais. Method: cross-sectional study constituted by a population survey conducted through structured interviews. The sample was stratified by clusters and included 178 elderly people at the end. Data were analyzed by the chi-square test and was performed a Correspondence Analysis. Results: The most prevalent forms of violence were: lack of access to social rights (31%), verbal violence (22%), moral/psychological (19%), lack of care (16%), physical violence (6%), sexual (3%) and discrimination (3%). Women suffered more abuse than men and violence had greater association with the degree of depressive symptoms. Conclusion: our research has direct implication for the sectors interested in coping with violence in the elderly, especially for nurses, because it shows violence is part of a cycle with characteristic associated factors that conforms a model nested mainly in the family relationship.