| |
Domestic Violence In Later LifeThere is no age limit to becoming a victim of domestic violence. Domestic violence affects victims of all ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, cultures, geographic areas, sexual orientations, abilities/disabilities, genders and professions. Domestic violence in later life can be committed against someone healthy, ailing, or with a disability. A partner, spouse or companion may perpetrate the abuse. Often, the abusive partner is also the primary caregiver, thereby making the victim even more dependent on the abuser and isolated from others. Abuse can take many forms, including:
While domestic violence can happen to anyone at any point in their lives, there are some circumstances that are more specific to older victims. These life circumstances may make it difficult for older victims to seek assistance or support from family members, community services, law enforcement, or state agencies. The fears of disclosing the abuse are very real and often well founded. Unique Barriers to Disclosing for Older Victims of Domestic Violence:
For many older victims of domestic violence the abuse may have been going on for years, while for others, the violence may have begun later in life. Lifestyle changes of the victim and/or abuser may be factors that can aggravate domestic violence later in life. Some of these changes include retirement, aging, limited mobility, and illness. The impact of abuse on victims at any age is profound. The victim may feel:
Elder Abuse Statistics* Research in the last 1980s and 1990s debunked the myth that most elder abuse was caused by caregiver stress. Instead the research showed that the elder abuse was occurring within a spousal relationship with a long history of domestic violence. (Wisconsin Lawyer, Vol 73, No. 9, September 2000) * As the general population grows older, estimates of domestic violence among the elderly are expected to increase dramatically - putting additional pressure on service providers. (US DOJ, September 2001; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) (both papers discussed the various forms of abuse - physical, sexual, financial, emotional, neglect and abandonment - pointing to the increased vulnerability to these abuses among the elderly) * Transgenerational family violence plays a crucial role in the proliferation of abuse towards older people. (Baron and Welty, 1996) * American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates that 4 out of 5 cases of elder abuse go unreported. * According to American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, elderly survivors of sexual abuse named the husband as the offender in 29% of the cases. * 58% of elder abuse perpetrators were spouses, while only 24% are adult children, despite the fact that reported cased more often name the children as perpetrators. (Pillemer and Finkelhor, 1988). For more information about elder abuse, contact: SAGE-Boston (Stop Abuse Gain Empowerment) National Center on Elder Abuse For confidential domestic violence counseling or ways to live more safely, contact: SafeLink, the Massachusetts Statewide Domestic Violence
Hotline South Shore Women’s
Center Help for Abuse Women and Children (HAWC) Center for Violence Prevention and Recovery HAVEN Passageway To report suspected abuse of people 60 and over, contact:Elder Abuse
Hotline |