Author: Lazenbatt, Anne
Title: Older Women's Lifelong Experience of Domestic Violence in Northern Ireland
Summary: Although domestic violence in the second half of life is a common experience for approximately 15%
of women aged over 55 years, little research has been given to the specific coping strategies of older
women, who are experiencing, or have experienced domestic violence throughout their lifetime.
Service providers and policy makers often assume that violence stops at age 55 and there is a
noticeable lack of literature, research and policy guidelines on the issue. The greatest challenge for
policy makers is that abuse remains hidden, with women remaining silent and finding it difficult to
speak openly or seek help. This exploratory study aims to address this gap by giving older women a
'voice' through applying a theoretical model of 'sense of coherence' (SOC) or 'wellbeing' to their lived
experience of domestic abuse. The main aims of the study were to increase our knowledge and
understanding regarding domestic violence against older women in Northern Ireland, by allowing
older women themselves to speak about their lifelong experience of living and coping with violence
and abuse; and to increase our understanding of the views and experiences of professionals and
service providers working to support older women experiencing domestic violence.
The stories and narratives conveyed in this study provide a powerful picture of the lifelong domestic
violence experienced by older women and how they make sense of their violent experiences. The
major findings from the study highlight how their 'wellbeing' is weakened by living in a domestically abusive context. The required self-esteem and confidence that enables individuals to exercise control and make choices conducive to their wellbeing appeared to be different in the context of domestic
violence compared to other contexts. Key findings from the research indicate that older women are
less likely to seek help due to social expectations and a lack of specialist services for older victims,
and that they are more likely to resort to misusing alcohol and prescription drugs in order to cope,
with significant consequences for their mental and physical health. Psychological abuse had the
strongest impact on their physical and mental health such as long-term depression and anxiety
(94%), the use of psychoactive medication (100%), and the likelihood of becoming a heavy drinker
and experiencing alcohol dependence (22%). The findings suggest that depression through the lifecourse
may play some role in increasing the chance of becoming a victim of interpersonal violence,
and may make it even harder to leave an abusive relationship.
The majority of women revealed significant difficulty with coping and seeking help. Economic
dependence and family support were cited as the most significant barriers to seeking support, or
leaving an abusive relationship. Respondents cited serious lack of support from their GPs and the
Police, as Police, as well as a lack of supportive programmes or settings that would allow them to 'tell their stories' safely and in private. Complicating service delivery for older women was the artificial
boundaries that have been created in the service sector. Protective service systems designed for
elders have few methods for dealing with domestic violence among older women, while women
viewed domestic violence shelters as being unfamiliar with ageing issues and the special needs of
older women, such as dealing with chronic illness, disabilities, or alcohol dependence and very few
had separate programming targeting this group.
Professional's failure to identify the abuse that women are suffering in later life is related to
assumptions that domestic violence does not exist for this age group, through sexism or ageism.
There is a need for greater professional awareness and support services that cater for the additional
needs of older women as their physical health deteriorates. Development of services, support groups,
and community outreach specifically suited to the needs and desires of older women who experience
domestic violence is vital, such as the use of preventive health care which would allow GPs the
opportunity to screen and make referrals during routine, non-emergency checkups. Professionals in
all service sectors must more fully understand the help-seeking barriers that older victims face. To
this end, the research community is challenged to replace myths and stereotypes about the nature
and prevalence of DV among older people with research-based knowledge.
Our findings have specific implications regarding psychological interventions for older women
suffering domestic violence. First, the development of adaptive salutogenic coping strategies could
promote psychological adjustment and, in consequence, encourage seeking of solutions to the
abusive relationship. In particular, supporting women to reduce negative coping strategies could
ameliorate the negative impact of violence on women's mental health and wellbeing, whereas the
implementation of secondary control strategies, such as CBT, cognitive restructuring, acceptance, and
positive thinking, could strengthen older victims of abuse.
Details: Belfast: Queen's University, 2010. 100p.
Source: Internet Resource
Year: 2010
Country: United Kingdom
URL:
Shelf Number: 136238
Keywords:
Domestic ViolenceElder AbuseFamily ViolenceViolent Against Women |
