Intimate partner violence against persons aged 60+ years: exposure and help-seeking

Background

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive and serious public health issue. While older persons may be particularly vulnerable to IPV, and show low help-seeking rates after exposure, research on IPV in this group is limited. The importance of such knowledge is underscored by the ageing population, reductions in formal elderly care due to retreating welfare states, and studies showing informal care relationships being associated with elevated IPV risk. Therefore, this study investigates exposure to IPV, as well as need for support and help-seeking after such exposure, among 60–84-year-olds in Sweden.

Methods

The study is based on a national web-panel survey (n = 5157), distributed in the general population of Sweden (60–84 years). Questions were posed about exposure to different types of IPV, and about experiences of and barriers to help-seeking. The questionnaire was validated through expert review and a pilot launch. The response rate was 37% and the data were weighted. Our preliminary results consist of prevalence rates with 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Exposure to IPV during the life-course was indicated by 21.3% (95% CI 20.2–22.5) of the respondents, and when aged 60+ by 6.4% (95% CI 5.8–7.1). In the latter case, women and men showed similar rates. Larger shares of women indicated exposure to sexual and repeated violence, and more men to digital violence, when aged 60+. Men showed lower levels of disclosure and help-seeking than women, alongside lower reported needs for support and lower levels of most barriers to help-seeking.

Conclusions

Our results show lower prevalence rates of IPV in older age groups than in younger ones. Still, preventive and supportive public health interventions should encompass awareness of the presence of IPV, and its potential health effects, among women and men aged 60+. As indicated by this study, needs for support and barriers to help-seeking are higher among women than among men.

Key messages

• Exposure to intimate partner violence is less common in older age groups than in younger ones, but is nevertheless present among women and men aged 60+.

• This study indicates that while prevalence levels are similar for women and men in this group, needs for support, and barriers to help-seeking, are higher among women.