Introduction: Intimate partner violence (IPV) does not cease with age; however, far less attention has been paid to the experiences of older women compared to younger women. In this scoping review, we mapped recent research on women in midlife and older who have experienced IPV and identified key knowledge gaps and measurement challenges.
Methods: Using JBI methodology, we included published and unpublished studies and reviews from 2012 onward that reported data on community-dwelling women aged 45 and older. Databases searched included MEDLINE (Ovid), Scopus (Elsevier), Embase (Ovid), PsycINFO (Ovid), and CINAHL (EBSCO), supplemented by a grey literature search. Two independent reviewers screened sources and extracted data.
Results: A total of 96 sources were included, comprising 85 individual studies and 11 systematic or scoping reviews. Most were published in the Americas and Europe. Research interest has increased substantially, with 85% of individual studies published since 2020. Few studies examined race or ethnicity, gender diversity, or immigrant status. There was considerable variation in quantitative tools and data collection methods, along with a lack of longitudinal studies. Additionally, few studies reported findings disaggregated by specific age groups.
Discussion: IPV in midlife and older age is complex, as it may persist over decades, emerge in new partnerships, or escalate within caregiving contexts. More research is needed to understand age-specific experiences, diverse populations, and the influence of caregiving and dementia on IPV risk. Improving data collection and investing in inclusive, age- and gender-sensitive services are essential to protect and support older women experiencing IPV.
This paper draws on the findings of a qualitative research project conducted in Québec with approximately thirty older women who have experienced violence in intimate relationships at different points across their life course.
Adopting an intersectional perspective and a life-course approach, the paper highlights the continuity of violence into later life, as well as the relational, social, and institutional mechanisms that sustain its persistence over time. Analyses of the women’s life narratives show how internalized gender norms, the normalization of violence, illness, the role of family and social networks, caregiving responsibilities, and material resources shape women’s experiences and influence their capacity to act when it comes to disclosing violence.
The findings reveal multiple barriers to disclosure and help-seeking, but also identify certain turning points and forms of support within women’s help-seeking trajectories. By attending to the diversity of experiences, this paper aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of intimate partner violence in later life.
Introduction :
As the population ages, older couples are increasingly present in private seniors’ residences (PSRs). While staff-to-resident and resident-to-resident violence in these settings has been documented, violence within couples remains under-researched.
Method :
Based on a qualitative case study, this doctoral research examined how stakeholders in Québec PSRs manage resident-to-resident violence, including among couples. Data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews with public or community service providers (n=5), [RL1] as well as with managers (n=3), staff members (n=2), residents (n=4), and relatives (n=1), across three PSRs within one network, complemented by a documentary analysis of institutional protocols. Within- and cross-case analyses used causal network analysis (Miles, Huberman, & Saldaña, 2020).
Results : Of 29 documented situations, five involved intimate partner dynamics, featuring financial and psychological abuse (e.g., belittling, aggressive tone, isolation). Among the reported consequences were financial loss, social isolation, psychological distress, and the need to relocate. Situations included both long-standing couples and relationships formed in PSRs, and partners exhibiting various levels of autonomy and decisional capacity. Facilitators of case management included victim disclosure, presence of witnesses, and support networks. Barriers included refusal of services, social isolation, normalization of violence, and limited access to specialized resources.
Conclusion :
Findings highlight the complexity of addressing violence among older couples in PSRs and underscore PSRs' obligation to respond effectively to safeguard residents' wellbeing. They indicate the need for enhanced awareness and detection, strengthened intersectoral collaboration, and increased organizational capacity, including staff training and access, to manage these situations.
Introduction and objectives: In 2019, a province-wide survey reported that 5.9% of older adults aged 65 years and older living at home in Quebec had been mistreated within the last year. Spouses or ex-spouses are often perpetrators of physical (26%) and psychological violence (34%). However, they are less likely to perpetrate financial mistreatment than other family members. Given how disease and stressful life events associated with aging can change relational dynamics, how does caregiving play a role in mistreatment between spouses?
Methods: A scoping review was conducted on mistreatment in the context of caregiving using fourteen databases to identify studies published in French and English up to May 2025. First, titles and abstracts and then full texts were screened by two independent reviewers according to inclusion criteria. Data from 128 studies were extracted using standardized forms and those addressing mistreatment between spouses were further analyzed.
Results: Not all mistreatment situations occurring in the context of caregiving are embedded in intimate partner violence and a power dynamic. Notably, negligence can stem from caregivers being overwhelmed. Both the caregivers and care recipients can be the perpetrators or the person being mistreated. The presence of cognitive deficits also forces an ongoing negotiation of the spousal dynamic as the disease progresses.
Conclusions: Data is scarce regarding manifestations, risk factors and potential interventions regarding mistreatment perpetrated by spouses in the context of caregiving. There is a need to raise awareness and develop efficient interventions with this public health issue.
Psychological mistreatment, defined as attitudes, words, actions or a failure to act appropriately that undermine the well-being or psychological integrity of adults and older people, is both common and often difficult to detect. This type of mistreatment is all the more insidious when it occurs within a domestic context. How professionals actually deal with these issues in their day-to-day practice remains poorly documented. Based on semi-structured interviews with professionals (n = 10) working in the health and social services network in Quebec, this presentation focuses on identification and intervention practices in cases of psychological mistreatment within couples where one of the two individuals is in a vulnerable situation (seven older adults and three people with an intellectual disability).
The findings reveal trajectories in which control and isolation gradually take hold. Identification is based not on obvious manifestations, but on the accumulation of subtle signs affecting day-to-day functioning. Professionals note a persistent tension between protection and self-determination, particularly when the marital relationship is maintained. Intervention relies on sustained clinical attention and interprofessional coordination, allowing professionals to adapt their actions to the individual's pace. With the mistreated person, professionals seek to create a climate of trust, to acknowledge what they are going through and to support them in their choices, even if they remain in the relationship. With the mistreating person, interventions are mainly limited to setting boundaries and naming problematic behaviours, within a framework often constrained by the dynamics of the relationship and the realities of the setting.