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EWA Newsletter on Older Woman Abuse

2004 study findings

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women in their 50s and beyond report physical and verbal abuse at a rate similar to that of younger women, a large U.S. study shows. At the outset, the study of nearly 92,000 women ages 50 to 79 found that 10,200 had been abused some time in the past year. Three years later, over 2,400 more women reported abuse, according to findings published in the April issue of the American Journal of Public Health. 

The findings highlight the "serious health threat" that abuse poses to older women, the study's lead author, Dr. Charles P. Mouton of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio , told Reuters Health. 

Mouton and his colleagues gathered their figures using data from the Women's Health Initiative, a national medical study of postmenopausal women. At the start of the study and again three years later, participants were asked whether a family member or friend had physically abused them in the past year. They were also asked about verbal abuse such as put-downs, severe criticism and threats. 

Overall, 11 percent of women reported some form of abuse at the study's start, with 89 percent of them saying they'd been subjected to verbal abuse alone. Verbal abuse, Mouton said, can cause both physical and mental harm. Research has linked it to stress and depression, and people who suffer verbal abuse tend to report poorer physical and psychological health. 

Among women in the study, those in their 50s were more likely to report abuse than older women were, and low income was associated with a higher risk of any type of abuse. Black women were nearly three times more likely than white women to say they'd been physically abused, but white women reported more verbal abuse. Although study participants were not asked to identify their abuser, Mouton said it's fair to assume that it was often a husband or partner. 

According to the researchers, most studies on abuse have focused on younger women or on frail elderly adults, who are at risk of abuse by caregivers. The new findings, they say, show that healthy older women may suffer rates of abuse comparable to, or even higher, than those of younger women. 

Mouton said he thinks doctors need to be more aware of the potential for abuse among their older female patients. He noted that he routinely screens such patients for abuse, although studies have not yet shown whether routine screening is effective in spotting and stopping abuse.

The news article on the study can be found at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_17210.html

The citation for  the journal article is : Charles P. Mouton, Rebecca J. Rodabough, Susan L. D. Rovi, Julie L. Hunt, Melissa A. Talamantes, Robert G. Brzyski, and Sandra K. Burge, (April, 2004) Prevalence and 3-Year Incidence of Abuse Among Postmenopausal Women, Am J Public Health, 94: 605-612

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Other research:

• 18% of women raped each year are sixty years of age or older. (Cries from the Heartland Video, 1995.)
• An estimated 3.5 million women sixty years of age and older are survivors of childhood sexual abuse. (Farris, M. and Gibson, JW. 1992. The Older Woman Abused as a Child: Untold Stories and Unanswered Questions.)
• 30% of people age 65 or older reported their sexual assault to the police. (Chaiken, J., Klaus, P. 1999. Crimes Against Persons Age 65 or Older, 1992-1997. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.)
• About 12.2% of older victims were sexually assaulted in their home; 2.4% were assaulted in an adult care residence; 70.7% were assaulted in a nursing home; and 14.6% of older victims were assaulted in the home of the perpetrator. (Teaster, P., Roberto, K., Duke, J., Myeonghwan, K. 2000. Sexual Abuse of Older Adults: Preliminary Findings of Cases in Virginia . Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect. Vol. 12 (3-4).)
• In 90% of all elder abuse cases the perpetrator was a family member. Two-thirds of the offenders were adult children or spouses. (Administration on Aging, 1998. National Elder Abuse Incidence Study.)
• 98% of sexual abusers of older men and women are male; however, women are also perpetrators of elder sexual assault. (Dombo, Eileen. Widening the Circle. 1998.)
• Older adults are also at high risk of sexual abuse by professionals, paraprofessionals, and in-home care workers. (Holt, M.G., 1993. Elder Sexual Abuse in Britain : Preliminary Findings.)
• In one-third of the cases, sexually abusive acts towards elders were witnessed by others. (Ramsey-Klawsnik, H. 1991. Elder Sexual Abuse: preliminary Findings. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect. Vol. 3 No. 3.)
• According to one study, more than 1/2 of Nursing Home residents, who were victims of sexual assault, died within 1 year of their victimization. (Burgess, A., Dowdell, E., Prentky, R. Sexual Abuse of Nursing Home Residents. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, Vol. 38, No. 6. June 2000.)

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