Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
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Comparisons of sexual assault among older and younger women
- Authors:
- del BOVE Giannetta, STERMAC Lana, BAINBRIDGE Deidre
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 17(3), 2005, pp.1-18.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This Canadian study examined the nature and extent of coercion, violence, and physical injury among older victims of sexual assaults (55 years and older) and compared these with the sexual assault victims of mid-age (31-54 years) and younger women (15-30 years). The results of this investigation reveal that older victims of sexual assault are more likely to be living alone at the time of the attack. In addition, older victims of sexual assault tended to report higher rates of vulnerabilities such as psychiatric and cognitive disabilities than did younger female victims. In contrast to younger victims, elder sexual assault victims are also more likely to be assaulted in their own home and one-quarter of older victims require ambulance involvement. Although the use of weapons was most likely in the sexual assaults of younger women, the use of physical violence and restraint was common and equally likely among all three groups. Similarly, vaginal penetration and the presence of physical trauma were just as likely in elder victims as in younger victims of sexual assault. These results reveal new information about the nature and extent of violence and coercion in elder female sexual assaults. The vulnerability of the older victims illustrated in this investigation raises a number of research questions about these women's prior history of victimization and future safety. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Intimate partner violence and its association with physical and mental health symptoms among older women in Germany
- Authors:
- STOCKL Heidi, PENHALE Bridget
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 30(17), 2015, pp.3089-3111.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Intimate partner violence is a commonly acknowledged health care issue. While numerous studies established the health implications of physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence among women of reproductive age, the evidence is scarce for older women and for other forms of intimate partner violence. This study, therefore, investigates the prevalence of intimate partner violence in its different forms and its association with physical and mental health symptoms of older women, using women of reproductive age as a reference group. This study is a cross-sectional study, utilising data from a national representative survey of 10,264 German women aged 16 to 86 years. Rates of physical and sexual intimate partner violence in the last year decreased from 8% to 3% and 1% among women aged 16 to 49 years, 50 to 65 years, and 66 to 86 years, respectively. The prevalence of emotional and economic abuse and controlling behaviour by partners remained nearly the same. All forms of intimate partner violence had significant associations with women’s health symptoms, such as gastrointestinal, psychosomatic and psychological symptoms, and pelvic problems. Controlling behaviour was most consistently associated with most health symptoms. Health and care professionals who screen women for intimate partner violence should, therefore, consider incorporating questions about controlling behaviour as well, because this form of violence is not only frequent but also has multiple health outcomes among women across all ages. (Edited publisher abstract)
Older women, domestic violence and elder abuse: a review of commonalities, differences and shared approaches
- Author:
- PENHALE Bridget
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 15(3/4), 2003, pp.163-183.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Elder abuse and neglect have increasingly become issues of concern. Older women are the majority of older people who experience abuse, yet there have been few attempts to adequately consider this. Consideration of the potential links between domestic violence and elder abuse is appropriate. This article provides an overview of knowledge about elder abuse and neglect and then moves to examine factors from domestic violence. An exploration, through review, of the similarities and differences between these approaches will assist in determining relative strengths and weaknesses. This will then contribute towards greater understanding of the linked phenomena of elder abuse and neglect and assist towards both protection and prevention of abuse. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580)
Making a case for personal safety: perceptions of vulnerability and desire for self-defense training among female veterans
- Authors:
- DAVID Wendy S., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 19(9), September 2004, pp.991-1001.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The authors assessed perceptions of vulnerability and the desire for personal safety/selfdefense (PS/SD) training among 67 female veterans receiving outpatient mental health treatment, primarily for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from sexual and/or physical trauma. Consistent with the literature on the impact of such training on nonclinical populations and on individuals with visual impairments, the results of this study indicate that traumatized female veterans believe that PS/SD training would be an effective and powerful addition to more traditional treatments for PTSD. Study participants indicated they believe such training would positively affect their sense of personal safety; promote increased competencein thwarting future assaults; improve their self-esteem, confidence, and assertiveness; and reduce avoidant and agoraphobic behaviors. These pilot results support the development of an adjunct intervention to augment current PTSD treatments for women veterans with histories of sexual and physical trauma.
Lifetime abuse and quality of life among older people
- Authors:
- FRAGA Silvia, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Work, 42(4), 2017, pp.215-222.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Few studies have evaluated the impact of lifetime abuse on quality of life (QoL) among older adults. By using a multinational study authors aimed to assess the subjective perception of QoL among people who have reported abuse during the course of their lifetime. The respondents (N = 4,467; 2,559 women) were between the ages of 60 and 84 years and living in seven European countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden). Lifetime abuse was assessed by using a structured questionnaire that allowed to assess lifetime experiences of abuse. QoL was assessed with the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Old module. After adjustment for potential confounders, authors found that to have had any abusive experience decreased the score of sensory abilities. Psychological abuse was associated with lower autonomy and past, present, and future activities. Physical abuse with injuries significantly decreased social participation. Intimacy was also negatively associated with psychological abuse, physical abuse with injury, and sexual abuse. The results of this study provide evidence that older people exposed to abuse during their lifetime have a significant reduction in QoL, with several QoL domains being negatively affected. (Publisher abstract)
International movement to promote human rights of older women with a focus on violence and abuse against older women
- Authors:
- CHOI Moon, BROWNELL Patricia, MOLDOVEN Stefana I.
- Journal article citation:
- International Social Work, 60(1), 2017, pp.170-183.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Population ageing around the world has drawn increased attention to the issue of human rights of older people. Extended old age is a women’s issue, considering women’s longevity advantage over men. Gender inequalities across the life course often make women more vulnerable to violence, abuse and poverty in old age than men. The human rights framework provides a solid foundation to approach the issue of violence and abuse against older women. This article critically reviews the United Nations instruments, with a focus on the international movement to promote human rights of older women, and provides implications for global social work practice. (Publisher abstract)
Aging in the shadow of violence: a phenomenological conceptual framework for understanding elderly women who experienced lifelong IPV
- Author:
- BAND-WINTERSTEIN Tova
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 27(4/5), 2015, pp.303-327.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This article suggests a heuristic framework for understanding elderly women’s "lived experience" of lifelong intimate partner violence (IPV). This framework is based on the phenomenological qualitative studies of 31 women, aged 60-83, using a semistructured interview guide. From the results, a matrix emerged built on two axes. The first axis consists of three phenomenological dimensions: suffering, a "ticking clock," and life wisdom. The second axis consists of four themes that emerged from the content analysis: loneliness, regret, being in a state of waiting, and being a living monument to perpetual victimhood. The practical implications of these phenomenological findings are then discussed. (Publisher abstract)
Gender differences in risk perception and neutralizing fear of crime: toward resolving the paradoxes
- Authors:
- SMITH William R., TORSTENSSON Marie
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Criminology, 37(4), Autumn 1997, pp.608-634.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Why the least victimised by violence (e.g., women and children) are most fearful is a central paradox in the fear of crime literature. Four attempts to resolve the paradox are discussed: hidden victimisation of women; greater tendencies of women to recall early life-course experiences, and to generalise fear from one context to another and from one type of victimisation to another; vulnerability of women; and male discounting of fear. Results are consistent with the vulnerability hypothesis, specifically the greater 'ecological vulnerability' of women, but there is also evidence of male 'discounting' of risk and fear. Further research is needed to assess the extent to which female vulnerability is more important than male discounting in accounting for risk perceptions and fear of crime.
Reactive aggression and suicide: theory and evidence
- Authors:
- CONNER Kenneth R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aggression and Violent Behavior, 8(4), July 2003, pp.413-432.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Aggression confers risk for suicide. However, "aggression" is a heterogeneous construct, and it is likely that subgroups of individuals with particular types of aggression are at higher risk. We postulate that a subtype of aggression, reactive aggression, underlies the link with suicide with implications for suicide risk-recognition and prevention. The theoretical rationale and empirical evidence for the role of reactive aggression in suicide is presented from the perspectives of neurobiology, psychopathology, and overt violent behavior. It is hypothesized that partner-relationship disruptions amplify risk for suicide in the near term among reactive aggressive individuals, particularly those with psychiatric disorders, and preliminary evidence in support of this hypothesis is reviewed. We also discuss being jailed as a potential precipitant of suicide in reactive aggressive individuals. Recommendations are made to advance the study of reactive aggression and suicide, including methodological innovations and a greater focus on research of women and older adults.
Gender roles and caregiving stress: an examination of subjective appraisals of specific primary stressors in Alzheimer's caregivers
- Authors:
- FORD G.R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 1(2), May 1997, pp.158-165.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Family care givers of patients with dementia face numerous, severe stressors in the course of caring for their relatives. While women are more likely than men to take on the caregiving role, evidence is mixed concerning how traditional gender roles influence response to caregiving. In this study male and female caregivers reported on a number of common primary caregiving stressors, including patient memory and behaviour problems. Results of the research found that in the context of caregiving in Alzheimer's Disease, gender roles may be less important than the nature of the stressor in determining reaction to primary stressors. Recommends that interventions to alleviate caregiver distress should target behavioural problems, such as dangerous behaviour and agitation, which are most stressful to caregivers.