Gender-based intimate partner violence against older women. Specific barriers to help seeking and separation

Introduction and Objectives. This article examines the processes involved in leaving a violent relationship in the case of older women. It particularly focuses on elements that act as specific barriers to help seeking and separation. The need for this analysis results from the confirmation that, although older women experience gender-based violence in a similar proportion to women overall, very few report it and the number of older women in existing social resources for survivors is very low. In addition, it is a topic that has hardly been studied in literature, which - given the context of increasing academic development in the matter of gender-based violence, the progressive recognition of the intersectional paradigm and simultaneous ageing of the population - is less and less acceptable. Furthermore, the few research projects available tend to hold a gender-blind perspective, which strongly limits their capacity to understand the phenomenon studied. Methodology. The analysis was completed using a qualitative method. To this end, eight in-depth interviews were conducted with women survivors, a discussion group was arranged with professionals working in specialist resources and another was held with associated older women. Results and Conclusions. There is a series of individual subjective, familiar and institutional factors which create specific barriers to help seeking and to leaving a relationship in the case of older women. These factors relate fundamentally to the effects of the intersection between sexism and ageism that permeate society.