The Invisible Survivors of Domestic Violence

• Date: 01 September 2023

Bifocal September - October 2023 Vol. 45, No. 1

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The Invisible Survivors

of Domestic Violence

By, John Holt, Senior Staff Attorney

on behalf of

The Weinberg Center for Elder Justice at

the Hebrew Home at Riverdale

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a

designation created in 1987 to show support for





on individuals, families, and communities in the

United States.





stereotypes. Domestic violence transcends age,



a wide spectrum of relationships. While society has

made strides in addressing biases like sexism, rac-

ism, and anti-LGBTQ ideologies, one form of dis-

crimination persists: ageism.

Ageism, characterized by stereotypes and prejudices

against older adults, distorts our understanding of the

types of relationships they maintain and hinders the



domestic violence. Domestic violence against older

adults constitutes a unique form of elder abuse, with

distinct dynamics and manifestations that require



Elder abuse within an intimate partnership can be

an extension of a lifetime of domestic violence and

trauma. However, changes in an older person’s func-



situation introduce new risk factors and barriers to

seeking help. Physical and cognitive decline can

lead to increased dependence on those causing harm

and reduced ability to identify and report abuse. Iso-

lation, caused by shrinking social circles, as well as

by elements of our social infrastructure like transpor-

tation which are not easily accessible to older adults,

-

lenging to leave long-term relationships or envision

-

sive partnership. Financial constraints can limit their

options for escape, unlike younger adults who can

enter the workforce and thereby more easily access

market-rate housing.

Take the case of Carol, a 78 year old woman living

with her husband, who subjected her to threats of

violence and death and has been physically abusing

her. Isolated from her friends and family, physically

dependent on her husband to assist with her medical

needs, and living on a modest monthly social security

payout, she lacked the means and support to leave

her home, instead enduring this abuse for years. It

was only when she found herself alone at a routine

medical appointment that she had the courage to dis-

close what she was experiencing to a social worker.

Addressing domestic violence against older adults

requires tailored and targetedresponses and

programs. The Weinberg Center for Elder Justice at

the Hebrew Home at  

