Older Women and Domestic Abuse

Hidden Voices

“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.”

Bryant H. McGill 

You are invited to take part in a research study looking at the experiences of women as they live with the impact of abuse.

Older women, often described as “invisible victims” of domestic violence, are one of the largest groups of people experiencing violence not accessing domestic abuse services.

Those aged 60 and above are significantly more likely to have a disability and/or co-morbidities, are more likely to be providing unpaid care and are more likely to be living with the perpetrator after getting support.

Exposure to abuse-related trauma is a feature of many older women’s experience of “growing old” with domestic violence.

The aim of the study is to better understand the experiences of older women, who are living with the impact of intimate partner violence (IPV), with a view to improving support services.

If you’d like to know more please read the research summary and research protocol.

The study has two phases…

Phase I

Your voice matters

Aims to listen to the stories from older women themselves.

 

Phase II

We want to listen

Using stories from Phase I, we will explore how different service providers respond to the unique needs of older women who are living with the impact of abuse, with a view to improving support.

The study is being sponsored by the University of Lancaster and being funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
This study has been reviewed and approved by the NHS Health Research Authority (HRA) Ethics Committee
Registered as IRAS ID: 287127