Domestic Violence Against Older Women Essay ⋆ Criminal Justice Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

The term domestic violence in late life refers to abuse of an elder by someone in a trusted, ongoing relationship. It may manifest as a continuation of longstanding abuse, as violence that starts only in old age, or as violence that begins with a new relationship in later years. Although reports of domestic violence decrease with age, the problem does not dissipate. National age-aggregated data suggest that between 2% and 10% of substantiated cases of violence in late life involved a spouse or intimate partner.

Most victims of domestic violence are female; their abusers use a pattern of coercive tactics, such as isolation, threats, intimidation, manipulation, and violence, to gain and maintain power over them. Domestic violence against older women is associated with the younger old ages, race and ethnicity, lower income, poorer education, and being employed in a service-sector job. Older women are likely to experience violence for a long time, and the severity and frequency of the violence tends to increase over time. Older battered women suffer physical and psychological health problems, such as injuries, chronic illness, and even death at the hands of their partners.

Older women face unique personal and family issues and community obstacles that influence their decision to leave violent relationships. For example, potential informants of domestic violence, including family members, friends, neighbors, and community workers, more easily accept the isolation that may occur in late life. Women who have not worked outside the home, and who are now past the age of retirement, are much more likely to be financially dependent on their abusers. Moreover, older women become resigned to living in situations of longstanding abuse and may be unable to realize that there are choices. With declining physical health, older women may be more dependent on their partners for care than is typical of younger women. Conversely, older women whose husbands are dependent on them for physical care may be even more reluctant to leave an abusive relationship. In addition, most domestic violence shelters are oriented toward younger women; older women may not feel comfortable participating in services and programs dominated by younger women. Usually, older women have fewer housing and employment options available to them should they decide to leave the relationship. They also may encounter ageism from law enforcement, courts, and others who do not fully understand their plight or who suggest they go to divorce court instead of seeking arrest or protective orders. Finally, because governmental policies have yet to focus specific attention on the issue of abuse of older women, few mechanisms are in place to encourage older women to exit a violent relationship.

Bibliography:

National Center for Elder Abuse. (2006, February). Late life domestic violence: What the aging network needs to know. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from https://ncea.acl.gov/resources/docs/archive/Late-Life-Dom-Violence-Need-to-Know-2006.pdf
Teaster, B. P., Roberto, K. A., & Dugar, T. A. (2006). Intimate partner violence of rural aging women. Family Relations, 55, 636–648.

This example Domestic Violence Against Older Women Essay is published for educational and informational purposes only. If you need a custom essay or research paper on this topic please use our writing services. EssayEmpire.com offers reliable custom essay writing services that can help you to receive high grades and impress your professors with the quality of each essay or research paper you hand in.