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Article
Domestic Violence or Elder Abuse? Why It Matters for Older Women
Families in Society
  • Teresa Kilbane, Loyola University Chicago
  • Marcia K. Spira, Loyola University Chicago
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2010
Disciplines
Abstract

Law enforcement and legal services are 2 systems that respond to reports of abuse against women through programs such as adult protective services (APS) and domestic violence (DV). APS and DV systems operate independently and define the cause of the abuse differently. The designation of a woman as having suffered domestic violence or having been abused often depends on which system she enters. This designation can lead to different options for women to obtain services. Aging may further complicate access and usability of these systems to respond to the needs of abused elderly. Using vignettes, this article explores the definitions of abuse and highlights specific concerns of aging that impact usefulness of services.

Comments

Author Posting. © Alliance for Children and Families, 2010. This article is posted here by permission of the Alliance for Children and Families for personal use, not for redistribution. The article was published in Families in Society, Volume 91, Issue 2, March 2010, http://dx.doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.3979

Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0
Citation Information
Teresa Kilbane and Marcia Spira (2010) Domestic Violence or Elder Abuse? Why It Matters for Older Women. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services: 2010, Vol. 91, No. 2, pp. 165-170.