Intimate Partner Violence in Late Life: An Analysis of National News Reports

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) in late life takes various forms including physical harm, sexual assault, and murder. Using national newspaper reports of IPV among elders, we identified the types of violence reported most frequently in media and examined how the abuse was conceptualized by reporters. We found that most cases of IPV reported involved murder, with men as perpetrators and women as victims. Caregiving stress and health problems were frequently cited as contributing factors in the cases. Interpreting these findings from a feminist perspective, we suggest implications for practitioners working with older adults.

Keywords:

• domestic violence
• elder mistreatment
• intimate partner violence
• media reports
• older women
• public perceptions

Notes

The project described was supported by Award Number R03HD059478 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD) and the Office of the Director (OD). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NICHD or OD.