A multi-case exploratory study of the lived experiences of older women, reconciling remaining in abusive relationships due to informal care needs.

A growing group of older women are living in the context of current or previous domestic
violence. Latest figures available from the CSEW find lifetime prevalence for women of
domestic abuse by a partner is 24.9% for 16-59 year olds and 15.9% for 60-74 year olds.
1 This
is the first year that data has been collected on women over 60 and no data is available for those
aged over 74, who remain an unresearched group.
There is a stark absence of research on how older women in abusive relationships manage living
with and/or caring for a dependent partner. Yet, older women, described as "invisible victims"
of domestic violence are one of the largest groups of people experiencing violence not accessing
domestic abuse services2 3. Those aged 60 and above are significantly more likely to have a
disability and/or co-morbidities and are more likely to be living with the perpetrator after getting
support4
. Prolonged exposure to abuse related trauma is a feature of many older women's
experience of "growing old" with domestic violence. Pragmatism, the need for retribution, lack
of options are all further considerations and suggests that both victim and perpetrator can be
living precarious lives, hidden behind closed doors, in a carer/cared for dynamic, where the
victim becomes perpetrator and the perpetrator becomes victim. To date, there has been no
literature exploring the phenomena of interpersonal revenge or "retributive justice" as it has
been called in this context. This is where a victim seeks revenge on the perpetrator for the
perceived abuse4
.
There are now 11.8 million people aged 65 or over in the UK, 1.6 million are aged 85 or over
and approximately 70% of these are women5
. Projected demographics, the impetus to expand
care into the community and cuts in social care funding, means the expectation of caring falls
increasingly at the feet of an ageing population. Currently, over 2 million older women are
providing unpaid care, and more than half have a health condition or disability themselves6
. A
lack of gender analysis in the elder abuse field, particularly of DV, means that older women
may not receive the specialist support that they are entitled to7
. The current project will therefore
inform policy and practice by deepening understanding of the way in which gender and age, as
key inter-related factors, might be shaping support services for older DV victims. This will
make a unique contribution to domestic violence literature.
This project aligns strongly with the ESRC's challenge to address the individual's perspective
of their care and support needs and the challenges faced by health and social care service
delivery which is also one of the key aims of the Health and Social Care Act (2012).