Conjugal Violence Against Older Women: The Need for Integrated Approach

Silvia Straka, CLSC René-Cassin/ISGQ, McGill University

Lyse Montminy, Université de Montréal

Guylaine Racine, Université de Montréal

Esther Hockenstein, CLSC René-Cassin/ISGQ

Sarita Israel, CLSC René-Cassin/ISGQ

This presentation is funded by RESOVI

Agenda

Conjugal violence and age Two intervention approaches

Elder abuse “Conjugal violence”

The need for an integrated approach

The Problem of Conjugal Violence

conjugal violence is an important social problem in Quebec and Canada

1 in 4 Canadian women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a marital partner

½ of Canadian women have experienced at least 1 incident of physical or sexual violence since age 16

Conjugal violence and age conjugal violence primarily viewed as

a problem of younger women assumption that conjugal violence

decreases with age, is no longer a problem for older couples based on research with faulty

assumptions it is now known that conjugal violence

does exist in old age

Interventions: Differences Between the Needs of Older and Younger Women

older abused women have much in common with younger abused women

however, there are important differences older women’s needs are often different

they have additional needs not often found in younger women

many of younger women’s needs are not shared by older women

Current State of Knowledge About Conjugal Violence Against Older Women

Question: are older women experiencing conjugal violence “abused elders” or “battered women”?

the question arises because there are two approaches for intervening with this group: elder abuse “conjugal violence”

Two Intervention Approaches the problem is situated within the

intersection of these two approaches the elder abuse and conjugal violence

approaches are said to be very distinct different paradigms different contexts of practice different discourses different intervention strategies

Conjugal Violence Approach identified by women themselves

construction of the problem construction of solutions

conjugal violence is caused by patriarchal social structures giving men more power than women

grassroots, community-based approach

feminist, empowerment paradigm

Conjugal Violence Approach Currently Inadequate for Older Women

current conjugal violence approaches are not directly transferable to older women different socialization of older women: meaning

of marriage and divorce greatly reduced social networks focus on needs of younger children is not

applicable post-retirement women have different income

issues: focus on employment not relevant many older women have health problems

problems of accessibility to shelters, etc.

The Need for An Adapted Approach

feminist model must be adapted to meet needs of older women analysis of the problem intervention strategies resources

Elder Abuse Approach elder abuse is a more recently known social

problem than conjugal violence defined by service providers and health

care professionals geriatric and gerontological services homecare departments hospitals

little input from older adults situated in a caregiving paradigm

The Need for a Specialized Elder Abuse Approach for Conjugal Violence

elder abuse clientele have a specialized profile: frail and users of homecare or gerontological

services resulting focus on caregiving issues key theory of elder abuse is caregiver

stress dimension of gender has been ignored problem of conjugal violence is thus not a

central focus and can be masked by caregiving focus

The Need to Integrate the Two Approaches

the literature argues the need to integrate the two approaches to best serve older women

but first we need to know more about: how the problem is viewed within each paradigm how each approach has constructed its practice

cannot bridge the two approaches without first having an intra-discourse understanding