Violence Against Older Women Volume I

This book brings together international research from scholars and activists on the forms of violence that older women experience into a unique, comprehensive two-volume set. This first volume consolidates the research on the forms, causes and extent of different forms of violence against older women. It considers the theoretical limitations of our understandings and charts the gaps in empirical and theoretical research in this area and how this has hindered effective policy and practice responses to violence against older women. Taken together, this volume offers an important starting point from which future research can draw to address the gaps in knowledge and evidence. It also highlights issues that are particular to older women’s experiences of violence compared with younger women. It highlights gaps in existing research and suggests a future research agenda and implications for practitioners. It will be of interest to researchers in social and health care, gerontology, sociology and social policy, feminist research and criminology.

This book brings together international research from scholars and activists on the forms of violence that older women experience into a unique, comprehensive two-volume set. This volume is concerned with understanding the consequences and impacts of violence against older women. The majority of policy and practice has been developed to reflect the dynamics and contexts of violence affecting young women, and most of the available support services had focused on the needs of those of child-bearing age. This volume sheds light on the specific needs and effectiveness of responses to violence against older women, and identifies both challenges and opportunities for developing services that meet older survivor's needs. It will be of interest to researchers in social and health care, gerontology, sociology and social policy, feminist research and criminology.

Research on sexual violence has been a growing area of academic study since the 1970s. However, the focus of these efforts has centred on younger women, leaving older women largely ignored in research. This book presents data from the first UK study to examine the extent, nature and impacts of sexual violence against people aged 60 and over. Drawing on both quantitative analysis of reported cases of sexual violence against people over 60 and qualitative interviews with practitioners in sexual violence and age-related organisations as well as survivors of sexual violence, this book situates the research findings in the context of feminist criminology and gerontology, and sets an agenda for future research, policy and practice. Sexual Violence against Older People is vital reading for practitioners and policymakers, and those engaged in studies of criminology, health and nursing, social work, elder abuse and violence against women.

The abuse of older people has been very much hidden until the latter part of the 20th century and is only now being recognised as an important social issue. To date emphasis has been on the development and implementation of policy procedures, but there has been little research into the characteristics of elder abuse victims or how best to work with victims of elder abuse.Of the older people studied for this research, 77% of elder abuse victims were female and this report focuses on their needs. The report uses qualitative research to consider the life experiences of the older women, including abuse in earlier life, analyses their past and present needs and looks at appropriate service provision. It also provides quantitative evidence which shows that:64% of female elder abuse victims were over 75 years old;66% of known abusers were male;statistics from the case study social work departments showed physical abuse to be the most common form of abuse (58% of cases), although the older women themselves identified financial and emotional abuse by family members as the most common.·[vbTab]The needs of older women looks at the views of older women, social workers and social care staff working with elder abuse. It uses their evidence to provide good practice recommendations. The author highlights the complex and long-term needs of abused older women and the problems experienced by workers. She argues that a more positive attitude towards older people and flexible multi-agency working are essential to the provision of effective services for victims of elder abuse.The needs of older women is essential reading for anyone working with older women or abused older people in all sectors - statutory, voluntary and independent - and policy makers and researchers working in the field of elder abuse. The report includes a useful chapter on methodology, which is vital reading for anyone conducting research into elder abuse. The findings will also be of relevance to those interested in child abuse and domestic violence.

Violence in families and intimate relationships affects a significant proportion of the population—from very young children to the elderly—with far-reaching and often devastating consequences. Cruel but Not Unusual draws on the expertise of scholars and practitioners to present readers with the latest research and thinking about the history, conditions, and impact of violence in these contexts. For this new edition, chapters have been updated to reflect changes in data and legislation. New chapters include an examination of trauma from a neurobiological perspective; a critical analysis of the “gender symmetry debate,” a debate that questions the gendered nature of intimate violence; and an essay on the history and evolution of the women’s movement dedicated to addressing violence against women, which advances theoretical developments that remind readers of the breadth of inclusivity that should be at the heart of working in this field.