Acierno, R., Resnick, H., Kilpatrick, D., & Stark-Riemer, W. (2003). Assessing elder victimization: Demonstration of a methodology. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 38, 644-653.

New methodology to assess interpersonal violence has incorporated contextually orienting preface statements and specific behavioral descriptions of victimization events. This methodology, however, has been limited to younger populations and has not been used in assessing elder victimization. The purposes of this study were to assess the effectiveness of the methodology with elderly individuals; measure lifespan physical, sexual, and emotional violence victimization by familial and non-familial perpetrators; assess victim psychopathology; and compare the impact of an in-person interview format with that of a telephone interview format. Participants (N = 106) were 55 to 85 years of age. The sample consisted of both police-referred victims (n = 47) of various crimes, as well as randomly selected individuals from telephone directories (n = 59). Participants were randomly selected to be interviewed in-person or by telephone. Each participant was administered a modified version of the National Women’s Study survey. The survey assessed interpersonal violence, psychopathology, and categorical independent variables (sample source and interview methodology type). Results showed that among non-police referred participants, the survey methodology proved sensitive in identifying instances of interpersonal violence. Among all participants, results indicated that interview format did not influence rates of detection for recent and distant victimization and psychopathology. The only differences noted by interview format were that telephone interviews were performed more quickly and interview safety was ranked higher than within in-person interviews. Furthermore, informal queries of participants revealed that the telephone format was preferable for a number of reasons, such as comfort level in disclosure and interviewer and victim safety. In concluding, the authors noted possible biases in the study, among which included the small sample size due to the nature of the project (i.e., a pilot feasibility demonstration project).

Topics: Disclosure; elderly; evaluation

Burgess, A. W., & Morgenbesser, L. I. (2005). Sexual violence and seniors. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 5, 193-202.

Sexual violence against women aged 60 years and older has not garnered enough attention. In this article, the authors outline key issues related to the risk factors, psychological and physical impact, role of forensic services, and therapy unique to elderly victims of sexual assault. That is, reasons why the literature on sexual violence has overlooked elderly victims are reviewed. Additionally, the authors discuss: early recognition and detection tactics, intervention services addressing signs and symptoms of physical and emotional trauma, specifics concerning forensic examinations on elderly victims, therapy focusing on individual counseling (concerning rape trauma symptoms and rape trauma syndrome), group counseling and music therapy, living situations (independent/assisted living or nursing home), interventions for relatives of abused elderly, prevention suggestions, crisis intervention, and recommendations for nursing home staff – e.g., the need to establish behavioral baselines upon admission of new residents in order to identify victimization responses should abuse occur within the nursing home.

Topics: Disabled; elderly; victim services

Del Bove, G., Stermac, L., & Bainbridge, D. (2005). Comparisons of sexual assault among older and younger women. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 17, 1-18. [Posted August 2007]

Key Points: Older victims were more likely to be sexually assaulted in their homes and were more likely to live alone than younger women.

Summary: This study compared sexual assault of older and younger women by reviewing medical records of those treated at a sexual assault care center in Ontario, Canada. The authors divided women into three groups by age: young (15-30 years; n=78), mid-age (31-54 years; n=73), and eldest (55-87; n=61).

Elder women were more likely to be cognitively disabled than women in the younger groups. Older women were more socially isolated: they were more likely to live alone and significantly less likely to be accompanied to the care center by a friend than either of the other groups. More than half (51%) of elders were attacked in their homes, compared with 20% of mid-age women and 19% of young women.

There was no significant difference found between the groups in the relationship of the attacker to the victim: about 40% of all assailants were strangers, and acquaintances were responsible for between 35-48% of attacks. Significant differences were not found in the type(s) of assault, injuries sustained, or need for hospitalization, although there was a trend toward increased vaginal injuries in older women. Weapons were used more frequently on younger women; however, the same levels of physical violence and restraint were used against older and younger women.

To develop preventive strategies, the authors recommended that further research be done with women in assisted care facilities (almost 15% of elder victims were living in group settings). They also suggested identifying the actual relationship of acquaintances to their victims, as this may differ by age group.

Topics: Elderly, injury

Kalra, M., Wood, E., Desmarais, S., Verberg, N., & Senn, C. Y. (1998). Exploring negative dating experiences and beliefs about rape among younger and older women. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 27, 145-153.

Most research concerning dating violence tends to focus on college-aged women. This study, instead, recruited women from retirement homes, single-parent support groups, university classes, and the community and thus included a sample of 115 women ranging in age from 18 to 85 years. Analyses split the sample into women over 40 years and women 39 and younger. Although the two groups shared similarities across dating behaviors and experiences, results showed that older women reported a higher incidence of unwanted affection and were also more likely to express a greater endorsement of rape myths than was reported or indicated by the younger women in the study.

Topics: Elderly; myths/stereotypes

Muram, D., Miller, K., & Cutler, A. (1992). Sexual assault of the elderly victim. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 7, 70-76. [Posted August 2007]

Key Points: Older female victims of sexual assault were more likely to be assaulted in their homes and by a stranger compared with younger women.

Summary: The researchers compared the sexual assault medical records of 53 women 55 years or older with the records of 53 younger women (aged 18-43). They found no difference in the racial/ethnic makeup of the two groups of victims or of their attackers, although attackers of older women tended to be older.

About the same number of women in each group sustained non-genital injuries (24 older women and 21 younger women) but more than half of older women (51%) had genital injuries while only 13% of younger women had genital injuries.
Younger women were more likely to report a previous sexual assault than older women (25% vs. 9%). The authors speculate that this may be due to older women being less likely to consider child sexual abuse or sexual violence committed by partners to be forms of sexual assault.

The majority of assaults against older women took place in the victim’s home (72%) while most assaults of younger women occurred outside the victim’s home (64%). More older women (79%) were assaulted by complete strangers; among younger women, 43% of attackers were known to the victim prior to the assault. Because of the patterns of stranger assaults, the authors recommend that elders use adequate window and door locks as a prevention strategy.
Limitations of the study included a small sample size collected from one sexual assault response center in Memphis, Tennessee. The results of this study may not be generalizable to other populations.

Topics: Elderly, injury

Ramin, S. M., Satin, A. J., Stone, I.C., & Wendel, G. D. (1992). Sexual assault in postmenopausal women. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 80, 860-864. [Posted August 2007]

Key Points: Older sexual assault victims were more likely to be white and suffered more genital injuries than younger women.

Summary: The authors compared the characteristics of sexual assault victims who were examined and treated in a Dallas County hospital from 1986-1991. About 129 or 2% of all victims were postmenopausal (50-100 years old). Women in the comparison group were 14-49 years old. Racial/ethnic characteristics varied with age: most younger victims were black (53%), and older victims were more likely to be white (64%). Most of the women experienced some kind of physical injury (67% of older and 71% of younger women), but older women suffered more genital injuries (43% vs. 18%). This study did not include information on emotional and psychological trauma suffered by victims, and the authors recommended that further research be done in those areas.

Topics: Elderly; injury

Updated 08/01/07