Intimate Partner Violence and Rural Older Women Center for Gerontology at Virginia Tech Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley Funded by grant # R03HD from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD and the NIH Office of the Director (OD)
IPV Statistics
IPV in Late Life: United States National data indicates that 69% of IPV is committed by a spouse 65% of IPV acts included simple assault 41% of victims report IPV to the police 33% of perpetrators ages 50+ used alcohol and drugs prior to abusing their partners
Why Victims of IPV Do Not Contact Police Source: 2000 US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics
IPV in Late Life: Virginia Source: Office of Chief Medical Examiner, homicides against persons ages 50+ were committed by their intimate partner. Within 7 days of the homicide, 34% of the perpetrators committed suicide.
IPV in Late Life: Virginia Characteristics of 110 homicide victims: Female (71%) Ages: 50 – 89 (Average age 62) Married (66%) White (73%), Black (24%), Asian (3%) Hispanic (<1%) 29% had a positive blood alcohol level between.01 and.38 at time of death Source: Office of Chief Medical Examiner, 2009
Characteristics of victim-perpetrator relationship Relationship ended or was ending (55%) History of physical assault (52%) Abuser threatened harm to victim or family member(s) (30%) Previous calls to about violence (28%) Source: Office of Chief Medical Examiner, 2009 IPV in Late Life: Virginia
IPV in Late Life: New River Valley 1999 – 2007 OCME – 1 homicide victim age Police IBRs (6 depts. in NRV) 6% of responses to female victims aged 50+ WRC Emergency shelter 15% of occupants aged 50+ WRC Crisis hotline 11% of calls from women aged 50+