Sexual

Violence in
Late
Adulthood

Statistics
Between 1 and 2 million Americans aged 65+ are abused by a caregiver
There may be as many as 5 million financial abuse victims yearly
Research has found that over 67% of women with physical and cognitive
disabilities experienced physical abuse in their lifetime
People with disabilities experience violence 1.5 times more often than
people without disabilities
Among female rape victims, perpetrators were reported to be intimate
partners (51.1%), family members (12.5%), acquaintances (40.8%) and
strangers (13.8%)
Among male rape victims, perpetrators were reported to be
acquaintances (52.4%) and strangers (15.1%)
Among male victims who were made to penetrate someone else,
perpetrators were reported to be intimate partners (44.8%),
acquaintances (44.7%) and strangers (8.2%)
(Center for Disease Control, 2015)

The Problem
Sexual violence is defined as a sexual act committed against someone
without that persons freely given consent. Sexual violence is divided into
the following types:
Completed or attempted forced penetration of a victim
Completed or attempted alcohol/drug-facilitated penetration of a victim
Completed or attempted forced acts in which a victim is made to
penetrate a perpetrator or someone else
Completed or attempted alcohol/drug-facilitated acts in which a victim is
made to penetrate a perpetrator or someone else
Non-physically forced penetration which occurs after a person is
pressured verbally or through intimidation or misuse of authority to
consent or acquiesce
Unwanted sexual contact
Non-contact unwanted sexual experiences
(Center for Disease Control, 2015)

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS
FEMINIST THEORY: "As its name suggests, feminist theory is based on the ideas of
feminism, which can be defined as the advocacy of social, economic, and political
equality between men and women. Feminist theory provides an avenue for examining
various personal and social issues as they relate to inequality, oppression and
disenfranchisement" (Rogers, 2013, 122).
SYMBOLIC INTERACTION THEORY AND SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM: "Refers to the
unique ways in which people and systems interact and communicate with one
another as well as the essence and characteristics of that interaction and
communication:
* We act on our world based on the meanings that we attach to our
experiences
* The meanings we attach to our experiences stem from our interactions with
others.
* These meanings are affected by our interpretations and our
interactions. (Rogers, 2013, 117).

Risk Factors for Perpetrating

Abuse

History of family violence (Bratteli,

2003)
Disruptive behavior on behalf of the
care recipient (Bratteli, 2003)
Mental Illness (Bratteli, 2003)
Alcohol or drug abuse or dependence
(Bratteli, 2003)
Caregiver dependence (Bratteli, 2003)
Stress (Bratteli, 2003)
Physical or emotional exhaustion
(Bratteli, 2003)
Low social integration and/or
unemployment (Bratteli, 2003)
Lack of community supports (Bratteli,
2003)
Insufficient income for basic needs
(Bratteli, 2003)

Risk Factors for Perpetrating

Abuse (continued)
Living with or having access to the
adult they abuse (Bratteli, 2003)
Change in family roles from being
cared for to being the care provider
(Bratteli, 2003)
Substance abuse (Bratteli, 2003)
Being related (Bratteli, 2003)

BIOLOGICAL FACTORS

Physical frailty, alterations in mental

status and dependence on others all
contribute to increased risk for sexual
victimization (Burgess, 2006).
Most victims of sexual violence in late
adulthood are female (Burgess, 2006).
Alzheimers and dementia patients
may be at an even greater risk because
perpetrators may assume the victims
will not remember the abuse (Burgess,
Dowdell & Prentky, 2000).
In a 2000 study of sexual abuse in
nursing home patients, three-fourths of
the victims were incapable of walking
and all of them had cognitive or
neurological disorders (RamseyKlawsnik, 2008).

PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS

Older adults are less likely to report

sexual violence than younger adults
(AOA, 2010).
Older adults that have experienced
sexual violence will experience trauma
at a more extreme level than a younger
adult (Cook, 2011).
Sexual abuse can be used to control
and humiliate domestic violence
victims and can cause feelings of
shame, embarrassment, hopelessness,
powerlessness, and isolation (Kerns,
2012).
Some women who have been
physically or sexually assaulted
decades earlier in life continue to
report significant levels of PTSD well
into older adulthood (Cook, 2011).

CULTURAL FACTORS

If discussing sex in older adults is difficult, then asking about sexual violence in late adulthood is
nearly impossible
Many women in late adulthood may live alone, putting them at greater risk of crime victimization
(Safarik, 2002).
Abused and neglected elders often have limited access to people and environments outside of
their home life (Imbody & Vandsburger, 2011).

CULTURAL FACTORS (cont.)

Many forget that men can be victims of sexual violence as well (Ramsey-Klawsnik, et al., 2008)
Most victims know and trust their abusers, who may be family members or caregivers (Imbody &
Vandsburger, 2011).

FAMILY ISSUES

Due to shame within the family,

elder abuse is often hidden (Ball,
2005)
Many elder adult victims live
alone. Once they have been
attacked, it may be difficult for a
person to move away(Del Bove,
2005)
The Elderly do not have much
family or friends to turn to for
support after an assault (Del
Bove, 2005)

SOCIAL STRUCTURES

Elderly contributions to society

tends to decrease as they age
(Ball, 2005)
Myth that the elderly can not be
assaulted (Del Bove, 2005).
It is a crime of hostility not
desire (Del Bove, 2005).
Abuse usually cause decrease in
socializing (Del Bove, 2005)
Mostly takes place in their own
homes(Del Bove, 2005)

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Elders 80 years and older are
abused and neglected at two to
three times their proportion of
the elderly population (AOA,
2010).
Females in the elder population
are more likely to be abused
than males (AOA, 2010).
STDs have increased in this age
group (Kerns, 2015).

Recommendations:
Talk about it!
Education for facility administrators and staff
Background checks for workers
Install cameras in facilities, particularly where patients suffer cognitive disorders
Tougher consequences for non-compliance of regulations in facilities
Defining elder abuse in its own terms rather than modifying guidelines from child abuse
legislation

Recommendations (continued):
Further research using standardized definitions and subtypes of elder abuse would provide
a better picture of the scope of the problem.
Improved reporting guidelines along with increasing the number of agencies and their
funding is essential.
Greater understanding of the causation of elder abuse could lead to the development of
effective treatment programs for abusers.