The Assault And Abuse Of Middle Aged And Older Women By Their Spouses And Children

This document lists 19 sources and includes a brief description of each.

Included amongst the literature on family violence is research on both wife assault/abuse and elder abuse, yet within this literature virtually no attempt has been made to link the two. The purpose of this review of the literature is to demonstrate the relationship between wife assault and elder abuse, and to show that many of the victims of the latter are women who have suffered years of abuse at the hands of their partners.

Topics covered include family group conferencing, guidelines for police and prosecutors, probation officers.

The historical context of family violence is explored, as well as the various forms of violence, their prevalence in specific stages of life, and responses to it made by the criminal justice system and other agencies. The linkage among child abuse, partner violence and elder abuse is scrutinized, and the usefulness of the life-course approach is couched in terms of its potential effect on policy implications; research methods that recognize the importance of life stages, trajectories, and transitions; and crime causation theories that can be enhanced by it. Tables, figures, charts, discussion questions and helpful boxes with supplemental information titled "Tool Box," "From the Field," and "Research Shows" enhance the text.