1+3 Studentship: Responding to risk in an ageing population in the U.K.: A study of male perpetrators of IPV across the life span.

The research aims to contribute to closing a research gap regarding older men as domestic violence perpetrators, through exploring life-course accounts (Band-Wintertein 2015; 2012; Winterstein & Eisikovitz 2005; Bergson et al. 2005) of male perpetrators of IPV over the age of 60 years within an ecological theoretical framework (Bronfenbrenner 1986). This process will create a body of knowledge on factors increasing and decreasing risk of IPV over the life-course by comparing earlier experiences and events with those in later life. Thereby delineating the needs specific to the older group as compared with those of working age through considering change in each ecological area (e.g. individual, family, community and societal contexts) and in risk over time for each participant. This approach will inform strategies for managing risk and improve the targeting of criminogenic needs (Andrews & Bonita 2006; Andrews, Bonta & Wormith 2006) for those aged over 60 years. Professionals working within the Criminal Justice System and Adult Social Services will also be interviewed within focus groups to examine current provision and highlight areas for improvement.
From the perspective of perpetrators and professionals the following research questions will be
explored:
What are the specific needs related to risk of the late-life male perpetrator population?
What changes over the life-course and why (for example change in pattern of abuse from
physical to psychological patterns suggested by Seff et al. 2008)?
How and in what ways do criminogenic needs change over time?
What is the current community response in the UK and how can it be improved?