The other side of late‐life intimacy? Sexual violence in later life

Bows, Hannah

Abstract

Objectives: To explore the extent, nature and consequences of sexual violence in later life. Methods: Data were obtained from all police forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on rape and sexual assault by penetration (Sexual Offences Act 2003) offences involving a victim aged ≥ 60 years, recorded between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2013. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 27 practitioners working in specialist violence or age‐related organisations and with three female survivors. Results: The majority of victims were female, and most offenders were male. Offenders were generally younger than victims, and most offences occurred in the victim's home, although one in five occurred in a care home. Physical, psychological and social consequences were described which create specific challenges in accessing and receiving support. Conclusion: An intersectional life course analysis of sexual violence is required to develop a better understanding of the consequences, particularly for older women.

Citation

Bows, H. (2020). The other side of late‐life intimacy? Sexual violence in later life. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 39(S1), 65-70. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajag.12728

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 21, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Jun 21, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Deposit Date: Jul 21, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 21, 2021
• Journal: Australasian Journal on Ageing
• Print ISSN: 1440-6381
• Electronic ISSN: 1741-6612
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 39
• Issue: S1
• Pages: 65-70
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ajag.12728
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1260396