Study on domestic abuse of older people sheds light on risk factors
New research has found that older people are more likely to be abused by their partners than by a family member.
The study by our Law School is the first analysis of data on domestic abuse of adults aged 60-74 years old using the Crime Survey for England and Wales.
Risk factors
The research also found that older adults with bad or very bad health were three times more likely to experience partner or family abuse compared to people with good health.
Among older adults, men and women are equally at risk of being victimised by a family member whereas for younger people, women are more at risk of this.
The analysis also showed that single older adults had a two and half times higher risk of family abuse than those who were in relationships. Older people who were unemployed or economically inactive were two and half times more likely to be a victim.
Domestic abuse
The researchers suggest that organisations dealing with domestic abuse should review current policies around risk assessment and management to ensure that abuse of older people, both by partners and family members, is properly captured.
The study looked at various types of abuse by a domestic perpetrator, including force, threats, sexual assault, stalking and non-physical abuse.
A recent analysis by Professor Bows showed that over 25 per cent of domestic homicide cases in the UK are of people over 60, despite this age group only accounting for 18 per cent of the population.
Find out more
- Read the research paper in the European Journal of Criminology.
- The study was led by Professor Hannah Bows in Durham Law School working with colleagues at City University of London and the University of Hull.
- Our Law School is ranked 57th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025. Visit our Law webpages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.