Project 08. Domestic Violence Against Older Women: Developing networks to improve service provision

With a median age of 40 years, South Australia is an ageing state with the second largest proportion of older people in Australia (ABS, 2016). In keeping with this trend, the number of older women in South Australia is expected to increase exponentially over the coming years.While domestic violence (DV) is an issue for women of all ages, this project was concerned with improving responses to older women (55+ years). For older women, DV may involve the continuation of longstanding abuse, violence that starts only in old age, or violence that begins with a new relationship in later years (Seaver, 1997). The invisibility of older women affected by DV may be compounded by the fact that older women do not report or seek assistance for DV in the same ways as younger women (Zink & Fisher, 2007). Further adding to their difficulties, older women experiencing DV are more likely to be viewed by service providers as victims of elder abuse rather than as victims of DV (Zink & Fisher, 2007).