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by Jane Bennet (A34567)

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by Fitzwilliam Darcy (A23456)

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by Elizabeth Bennet (A12345)

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by Charlotte Lucas (A678910)

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by Charles Bingley (A45678)

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by George Wickham (A56789)

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Violence against older women is generally discussed irrespective of age. The discussion may emphasize how it is rooted in gender inequality with little or no attention to age.Thus, it often exists in the margins
between intimate partner violence and elder abuse.

These are a few of the myths about intimate partner violence that come up all too often, and need to be debunked now.

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Women who are older may face specific challenges in disclosing violence and utilizing services, which may be amplified
by existing societal limitations in awareness regarding violence in the older population. Examples of these barriers include:

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Women who are older can be subjected to the same forms of violence as women who are younger.

It is sometimes the case that women who are older have endured a longstanding history of violence through different relationships.

While the abuse may not end, the type of violence experienced can often change over time.

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Myth: Violence, especially intimate partner violence, is a problem that only younger women face.

Reality: Violence against women who are older is a global phenomenon. Although young women experience high rates of intimate partner violence, these issues are still prevalent among women who are older and may increase with an aging population. Finally, violence against women who are older is under-recognized and under-reported.

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by ALL MEMBERS (everyone should   cite their own references according to GAYA UKM Referencing Style).

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Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children. (2016).

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Sample of EN - Types of Violence against OW.JPG

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Myth: Caregiver stress causes people to abuse women who are older.

Reality:  The notion that a caregiver can experience helplessness, anger, and frustration as a result of overwhelming responsibility and work is often used to rationalize violence against women who are older. A caregiver who does this, regardless of the relationship, is using abusive behaviour

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Intimate partner violence (IPV) transcends age; yet, abuse is often thought of as age-specific, with an emphasis on women who are younger or of childbearing age.

When this happens, the violence experienced by women who are older is rendered invisible and their voices are silenced.

Contributing to this problem are the inconsistent definitions used by researchers, which may leave out women who consider themselves as older but are not recognized as such. In this newsletter, we build upon research inclusive of a variety of ages in order to reflect a wider range of women’s experiences.

While focused on women who are older, we recognize that the experiences of these women may be shaped by oppressions beyond those associated with age and gender (e.g. oppressions related to indigeneity, poverty, disability, immigration status, sexual orientation).

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What is “Older”?
“Older” can mean different things to different people and definitions of older life vary.

Emerging research does not use a consistent age range across studies (e.g. 50 years of age and older; typical retirement age, 65, and older). • Variability exists in the health status, vulnerabilities, dependency, and life experiences of people who are older.

Recognizing the power of language, we took the lead from
Atira and use the more inclusive and respectful phrase of
“women who are older.”

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Violent crime against older people is at record levels — here’s why (June 16, 2018)

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Violent crime against older people is at record levels — here’s why (June 16, 2018)

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Dating sites are fuelling a rise in the rape and sexual assault of older people. shutterstock

Crime statistics have traditionally suggested that people aged 60 or over are less likely to be the victims of violent crime than the rest of the population. But while national victimisation surveys consistently report lower levels of victimisation among those aged 60 and over, these figures don't necessarily capture the full picture.

This is in part because most victimisation surveys exclude certain groups in society from participating - including those living in "institutions" such as care homes and hospitals. And in some cases, there have been age caps in these surveys.

The rate of victimisation of older people may be lower than other age groups, but it is certainly not rare. A recent global systematic review estimated that at least one in six older people experience some form of physical, emotional, sexual or financial abuse each year.

In the UK, this equates to around 2m people every year. To put this into context, this is higher than the UK current estimates of domestic violence - which stand at 1.9m people a year.

Older victims

Not much is known about the dynamics of violence in later life. Most of the existing research examines a fairly narrow range of violence and abuse - and often excludes sexual violence and violence that leads to a fatality. But my research has shown that these types of violent assaults do occur in later life and gender is a significant feature.

My national study examining reported sexual offences against people aged 60 and over in the UK found that women constituted the majority of victims and men were the primary perpetrators. And even where the victim was male, the perpetrator was also male in most cases. Where the perpetrator was female, there were male co-perpetrators in the majority of cases.

Shutterstock

My research also showed that female victims tended to know the perpetrator - either as an acquaintance or partner, whereas most male victims were raped or sexually assaulted by an acquaintance or a stranger.

These gender differences are also seen in a more recent study I carried out, which examines homicide of people over the age of 60. Analysing 514 homicides involving a victim aged 60 and over between 2010 and 2015, revealed that men were most likely to be murdered by a male stranger whereas women were most likely to be killed by a male spouse or partner.

This research reflects national findings on younger victims, which show that men are generally victimised by other men - often strangers or acquaintances - whereas women tend to be victimised by male partners or other family members.

Missed opportunities

But despite these findings, violence and abuse of older people is being missed by police forces, health professionals and other key agencies because of ageist assumptions about older people being at low risk for violence. All of which results in missed opportunities to identify and prevent violence against older people. As part of my work I spoke to the manager of a Rape Crisis Centre, who told me:

We worry that there is no attention around the occurrence of adult grooming and the predatory behaviour aimed at older women, particularly in the online world ... We have seen a rise in older women accessing services that we consider linked to the higher prevalence of older women using dating and companion sites.

This lack of awareness and acceptance of violence and abuse in later life has also been flagged up in domestic homicide reviews involving older victims.

Not recognised

I have written previously about some of the problems the one-size-fits-all "elder abuse" model creates. It distinguishes violence against older people from violence against other groups - and suggests the problem is one associated with the age of the victim. And this leads to different policy and practice responses. But, as the evidence has shown, violence against older people isn't a problem caused by age.

Instead, violence should be looked at across all age groups. This would allow researchers to examine both age and gender, as well as class, ethnicity and other social characteristics - to get a better understanding of the links between the types of violence people experience at different life stages.

All of which is important, because these figures are likely to increase as the population, in the West at least, continues to age at a rapid pace. In fact, in recognition of the global epidemic, the United Nations has designated 15 June as World Elder Abuse Awareness day in an effort to raise awareness of violence and abuse of older people.

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Violent crime against older people is at record levels - here's why

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Crime statistics have traditionally suggested that people aged 60 or over are less likely to be the victims of violent crime than the rest of the population. But while national victimisation surveys consistently report lower levels of victimisation among those aged 60 and over, these figures don't necessarily capture the full picture.

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The prevalence of abuse and its sub-types

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The prevalence of abuse and its sub-types

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Source: Yon, Y., Mikton, C. R., Gassoumis, D. Z., & Wilber, H. K. (2017). Elder abuse prevalence in community setting: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet: Global Health, 5(2),

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If you suspect a woman who is older is being abused, you can:

• Call 911 if you think the situation is immediately dangerous.

• Do not assume anything; ask questions instead. Ask her if she needs help or feels that she is not safe. Make sure that you are in a safe environment and alone with her before initiating the conversation.

• Be supportive and listen. Remember that she may not feel comfortable disclosing the abuse right away. She also may not recognize that the behaviour is abusive.

• Reassure her that there is help and support available, and encourage her to talk to someone (e.g. a family member, violence help-line, a counsellor). Offer to go with her to talk to someone.

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1. Assaulted Women's Helplines
An anonymous, confidential, and free 24-hour telephone line for all women in Ontario that have experienced or think they may have experienced any form of abuse. 1-866-863-0511

2. Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) The RHRA oversees retirement homes to ensure that the law is being followed. If you suspect that there is a risk of harm to a retirement home resident, you must report it. To make a report, call 1-855-ASK-RHRA (1-855-275-7472)

3. Senior Safety Line (SSL) The SSL provides referral information for family members and health care providers for services across the province that can assist in cases of abuse of older adults. 1-866-299-1011

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1. Denial of abuse in relationships. 2. Perceived or actual consequences of reporting abuse (e.g. fear that the abuse will increase in frequency and severity). 3. Traditional beliefs and attitudes towards marriage, gender roles, and discussing family matters with strangers.
4. Fear of having autonomy taken away, being forced into a care facility, having decision-making rights taken away.
5. Cultural factors (e.g. women’s submissiveness to men, language barriers, community “shunning” when reaching out for help).
6. Fear of losing relationships with children, grandchildren, and other family members or friends, humiliation or shame in asking for help.
7.Apprehensions associated with social location (e.g. sexual orientation, social class, abilities), lack of knowledge about violence services available and/or belief that services are exclusively for younger women.

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1. Remote or rural living resulting in social isolation, inability to contact or access services, or lack of services altogether.

2. Lack of a supportive place or supportive network to turn to. Functional or physical mobility limitations.

3. Lack of financial resources to access services or transportation.

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The warning signs of abuse can be vast and are often specific to the individuals involved and the situation. Some common signs of abuse of women who are older include:

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Crockett, C., Brandl, B., & Dabby, F. C. (2015). Survivors in the
margins: The invisibility of violence against older women. Journal
of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 27, 291-302.

Atira Women’s Resource Society. (2015). Promising practices
across Canada for housing women who are older and fleeing
abuse. Retrieved from http://www.atira.bc.ca/sites/default/
files/Promising%20Practices%20for%20Housing%20Women%20
who%20are%20Older.pdf

Shillington, R. (2016) An Analysis of the Economic
Circumstances of Canadian Seniors. Ottawa: Broadbent Institute.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2016b).
Intimate partner violence: Definitions. Retrieved from http://
www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/
definitions.html

Sinha, M. (2013). Overview of family violence. Family Violence
in Canada: A Statistical Profile, 2011 (pp. 5-16). Retrieved from
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2013001/article/11805-
eng.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2016a).
Elder abuse: Definitions. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/
violenceprevention/elderabuse/definitions.html

McGary, J., Simpson, C., & Hinchliff-Smith, K. (2011). The
impact of domestic abuse for older women: A review of the
literature. Health and Social Care in the Community, 19(1), 3-14.

Adapted from http://www.vawlearningnetwork.ca/issue-18-violence-against-women-who-are-older

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Dismantling these myths is crucial to helping survivors, supporting resources that target the problem, and diagnosing the particular issues that create domestic violence in the first place.

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It is important to remember that even if these warning signs are not present, abuse could still be happening.
If interpersonal violence is suspected, trust your instincts.