NCJ Number
133597
Journal
Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: (1991) Pages: 75-88
Date Published
1991
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the influence of retirement status on marital conflict and physical violence using a nationally representative sample of 1,238 respondents aged 55 years and older.
Abstract
The study sample was taken from the 1985 National Family Violence Survey. Respondents were asked to report conflict related to the following: money management; cooking, cleaning, or repairing the house; social activities and entertaining; affection and sex relations; and children. The Conflict Tactics Scale, used to measure intrafamily conflict, asked respondents to identify what they did when they had a disagreement with their spouses. Options included throwing something, pushing, slapping, kicking, hitting, beating, threatening with a knife or gun, and using a knife or gun. Three violence scales were analyzed: husband-to-wife violence, wife-to-husband violence, and overall couple violence. Results revealed no significant differences between retired men and women compared to their nonretired counterparts. Both retired and nonretired persons scored similarly on measures of depression, stress, and marital conflict. On violence measures, retired men appeared to experience slightly lower levels of all forms of physical violence as compared to their employed counterparts, while retired women had slightly higher rates than employed women. The differences, however, were not statistically significant. It is suggested that future research examine other life events, such as serious illness of a partner or changes in living situation, that might have a more significant impact on marital discord in later life. 28 references and 5 tables