Abstract
There has been relatively little research published to guide the field in identifying and addressing barriers to seeking help for older women who experience domestic violence (DV). The current article focuses on findings related to external behaviors to help-seeking in the Domestic Violence Against Older Women (DVAOW) study. Data were collected in 21 focus groups with 134 women, 45 to 85 years of age. External barriers, described by DVAOW respondents as contributing to the reluctance of some older women to seek help for domestic abuse, include response of family, response of clergy, response of the justice system, and responsiveness of community resources. These findings are discussed with implications for community outreach and future research.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
There were indeed services for the elderly available in the community. These data relate more to the knowledge of respondents than to the actual availability of services.
References
Allen, N. E. (2005). A multi-level analysis of community coordinating councils. American Journal of Community Psychology, 35(1–2), 49–63.
Anderson, M. A., Gillig, P. M., Sitaker, M., McCloskey, K., Malloy, K., & Grisby, N. (2003). Why doesn’t she just leave?: A descriptive study of victim reported impediments to her safety. Journal of Family Violence, 18(3), 151–155.
Aronson, J., Thornewell, C., & Williams, K. (1995). Wife assault in old age: coming out of obscurity. Canadian Journal of Aging, 14(2), 72–88.
Beaulaurier, R. L., Seff, L. R., Newman, F. L., & Dunlop, B. D. (2005). Internal barriers to help seeking for middle aged and older women who experience intimate partner violence. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 17(3).
Beaulaurier, R. L., & Taylor, S. H. (2001). Dispelling fears about aging with a disability: Lessons from the disability rights community. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 35(2).
Coker, A. L., Davis, K. E., Arias, I., Desai, S., Sanderson, M., Brandt, H. M., et al. (2002). Physical and mental health effects of intimate partner violence for men and women. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 23(4), 260–268.
Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (1990). Grounded theory research—procedures, canons and evaluative criteria. Qualitative Sociology, 13(1).
Dienemann, J., Campbell, J., Landenburger, K., & Curry, M. A. (2002). The domestic violence survivor assessment: A tool for counseling women in intimate partner violence relationships. Patient Education and Counseling, 46, 221–228.
Dugan, L., Nagin, D. S., & Rosenfeld, R. (2003). Do domestic violence services save lives? NIJ Journal, 250, 20–25.
Dunlop, B. D., Rothman, M. B., Condon, K. M., Hebert, K. S., & Martinez, I. L. (2000). Elder abuse: Risk factors and use of case data to improve policy and practice. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 12(3/4), 95–122.
Dutton, M. A., Goodman, L. A., & Bennett, L. (1999). Court-involved battered women’s responses to violence: The role of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. Violence and Victims, 14(1), 89–104.
Dye, J. F., Schatz, I. M., Rosenberg, B. A., & Coleman, S. T. (2000). Constant comparison method: A kaleidoscope of data. The Qualitative Report, 4(1/2).
Fugate, M., Landis, L., Riordan, K., et al. (2005). Barriers to domestic violence help seeking. Violence Against Women, 11(3), 290–310.
Gordon, R. M., & Brill, D. (2001). The abuse and neglect of the elderly. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 23, 183–197.
Grigsby, N., & Hartman, B. (1997). The barriers model: An integrated strategy for intervention with battered women. Psychotherapy, 34, 485–497.
Grunfeld, A. F., Larsson, D. M., MacKay, K., & Hotch, D. (1996). Domestic violence against elderly women. Canadian Family Physician, 42, 1485–1493.
Hudson, M. F. (1986). Elder mistreatment: Current research. In K. A. Pillemer & R. S. Wolf (Eds.), Elder Abuse: Conflict in the Family (pp. 125–193). Dover, MA: Auburn House.
Kasturirangan, A., Krishnan, S., & Riger, S. (2004). The impact of culture and minority status on women’s experience of domestic violence source. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 5(4), 318–332.
Lachs, M. S., Williams, C. S., O/Brien, S., Pillemer, K. A., & Charlson, M. E. (1998). The mortality of elder mistreatment. Journal of the American Medical Association, 280(5), 428–432.
Langhinrichsen-Rohling, J. (2005). Top 10 greatest “hits”: Important findings and future directions for intimate partner violence research. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Special 20th Anniversary Issue, 20(1), 108–118.
Lipchik, E., Sirles, E. A., & Kubicki, A. D. (1997). Multifaceted approaches in spouse abuse treatment. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 1(1), 131–148.
Lutenbacher, M., Cohen, A., & Mitzel, J. (2003). Do we really help? Perspectives of abused women. Public Health Nursing, 20(1), 56–64.
Manetta, A. A., Bryant, D. F., Cavanaugh, T., & Gange, T. A. (2003). The church—does it provide support for abused women? Differences in the perceptions of battered women and parishioners. Journal of Religion & Abuse, 5(1), 5–21.
Mouton, C. P. (2003). Intimate partner violence and health status among older women. Violence Against Women, 9(12), 1465–1477.
National Elder Abuse Incident Study: Final Report (1998). Prepared by the National Center on Elder Abuse in collaboration with Westat, Inc. for the Administration of Children and Families and the Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
National Research Council (2003). Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America. panel to Review Risk and Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect. RJ Bonnie & RB Wallace (Eds.), Committee on National Statistics and Committee on Law and Justice, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Newman, I., & Benz, C. R. (1998). Qualitative-quantitative research methodology: Exploring the interactive continuum. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University.
O’Leary, K. D. (1999). Psychological abuse: A variable deserving critical attention in domestic violence. Violence and Victims. Special issue: Psychological abuse in domestically violent relationships, 14(1), 3–23.
Padgett, D. K. (1998). Qualitative methods in social work research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Patton, M. Q. (1987). How to use qualitative methods in evaluation. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Pritchard, J. (2001). Male victims of elder abuse: Their experiences and needs. London, England: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Ltd.
Rose, L. E., Campbell, J., & Kub, J. (2000). The role of social support and family relationships in women’s responses to battering. Health Care for Women International, 21, 27–39.
Vinton, L. (1999). Working with abused older women from a feminist perspective. Journal of Women and Aging, 11(2/3), 85–100.
Waldrop, A. E., & Resick, P. A. (2004). Coping among adult female victims of domestic violence source. Journal of Family Violence, 19(5), 291–302.
Zink, T., Regan, S., Jacobson, C. J., & Pabst, S. (2003). Cohort, period, and aging effects. Violence Against Women, 9(12), 1429–1441.
Acknowledgement
This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ#2002-WG-BX-0100).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Please cite this article as: Beaulaurier, R. L., Seff, L. R., Newman, F. L., & Dunlop, B. D. (2007). External barriers to help seeking for older women who experience intimate partner violence. Journal of Family Violence, 22(4).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Beaulaurier, R.L., Seff, L.R., Newman, F.L. et al. External Barriers to Help Seeking for Older Women Who Experience Intimate Partner Violence. J Fam Viol 22, 747–755 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-007-9122-y
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-007-9122-y