Mistreatment of Older Women in Three European Countries: Estimated Prevalence and Service Responses

• NCJ Number: 203210
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 9 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2003 Pages: 1453-1464
• Author(s): Elizabeth Ockleford; Yvonne Barnes-Holmes; Roberta Morichelli; Asesha Morjaria; Francesca Scocchera; Frederick Furniss; Claudio Sdogati; Dermot Barnes-Holmes
• Date Published: December 2003
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Three studies conducted in 2001 examined the experiences of abused older women; the views of treatment professionals; and the features of support services in Ireland, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

Abstract

Participants in the study of the abusive experiences of older women (median age of 75 years) were recruited as an opportunity sample of women aged 60 or older through a range of professional and voluntary organization contacts within each country. The participant group of 149 included 50 Irish, 50 Italian, and 49 British women. Of the total group of participants who were victims of threats and/or abuse, 59 percent (n=20) reported mistreatment that lasted days, 15 percent reported mistreatment that lasted weeks or months, and 24 percent reported mistreatment that lasted years. Effects of the abuse included feeling upset, worried, anxious, withdrawn, frightened, shocked, annoyed, angry, and distraught. Most victims reported that the effects of the abuse lasted months or years. Participants in the second study were 76 professionals who worked with older women (25 each from Ireland and Italy, and 26 in the United Kingdom). The majority of professionals involved with the care of the elderly in all three countries reported that they had encountered mistreatment of their clients. Most cases involved psychological abuse, followed in frequency by cases of financial and then physical abuse. Spouses and other family members were the most common perpetrators of psychological and physical abuse. For the study of support services, a number of organizations were contacted in each of the countries. None of the service organizations contacted focused specifically on older women who had been abused. The overall findings indicated that the abuse of older women is a common and serious problem in Europe. Support services both for older people and for female victims of abuse are only beginning to focus on this problem. 4 tables and 6 references