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Older women suffer most domestic abuse

By: Alexandra Frean
The Times, May 30, 2000

DOMESTIC violence against women can become worse with domestic old age, new research shows. Wives who have suffered decades of physical, emotional or financial abuse at their hands of their husbands can fall victim in later life to abuse by children, grandchildren or professional carers as well.

The study published today by the Joseph rowntree Foundation suggests that nearly 70 per cent of adults who suffer abuse are aged over 60, and of these more than three quarters are female. Sixty-six per cent of known abusers identified by the study were male.

The study, The Needs of Older Women, demonstrates that social and healthcare staff are ill-equipped to deal with the problem. Jacki Pritchard, author of the study, said that many professionals she interviewed appeared to be unduly pessimistic about the scope for helping older people who have been abused.

The study was based on the case notes of 186 adult abuse victims drawn from three social services departments in England. In-depth interviews were carried out with 27 older women and focus groups were run for more than 300 older people. Examples included Mary, 60, whose husband had been physically assaulting her for many years, and Vera, 63, who had been beaten up by her husband throughout 42 years of marriage and who told researchers: "if a day went by and I didn't get a punch or a head butt, then it was something unusual."

Four victims were abused physically and financially by their grandsons. Three of the grandsons had stolen money and household items to finance drug use.

A number of women had cash and belongings stolen by professional carers.

Others suffered emotional abuse: Emma, 80, was regularly beaten by her husband, who tried to persuade her she was mentally ill. "Every day he was suggesting I wasn't right in my head, that I had forgotten to do something and I knew I hadn't," she said.

However, some older women who had suffered abuse for decades often gained the courage and confidence to speak out and to leave home by the time they reached old age. The trigger for this action was often illness or injury, while other victims appeared to have been encouraged to speak out by changes in social and personal attitudes that have led to more openness in society at large.