University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA.
J Interpers Violence. 2024 Oct;39(19-20):4113-4134. doi: 10.1177/08862605241264534.
Despite the documented increasing prevalence of elder abuse victimization and its devastating health effects, a life-course view of the victimization experiences of older adults has rarely been adopted in the elder abuse literature. The current study investigated lifetime links between victimization experiences by examining the indirect effect of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) on elder abuse victimization via intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization in middle adulthood, and whether this indirect association would differ by gender. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we analyzed the previous and current victimization experiences of a total of 5,391 older adults in their early 70s and estimated mediational and moderated mediation models. The key results indicated that a higher ACE score was associated with exposure to IPV victimization in middle adulthood, which was in turn associated with exposure to elder abuse victimization. This indirect association was stronger for women than for men. Regarding specific types of childhood victimization, parental physical abuse, sexual abuse, and witnessing domestic violence significantly predicted elder abuse victimization via IPV victimization. Our results support the phenomenon of lifetime victimization, whereby an individual experiences reoccurring forms of victimization across the life course from childhood to late adulthood. Findings highlight the compelling need for the assessment of cumulative victimization experiences and their impact on elder abuse victims. A life-course-based, trauma-informed approach would greatly enhance prevention and intervention services for elder abuse.
尽管有文献记载，虐待老人的现象日益普遍，且对其健康造成了严重影响，但在虐待老人的文献中，很少采用生命历程的视角来研究老年人的受害经历。本研究通过考察中年时期亲密伴侣暴力（IPV）受害经历对老年人虐待受害经历的间接影响，来探讨一生中的受害经历之间的联系，并研究这种间接关联是否因性别而异。本研究使用来自威斯康星州纵向研究的数据，对总共 5391 名 70 岁出头的老年人的以往和当前受害经历进行了分析，并估计了中介和调节中介模型。主要结果表明，较高的 ACE 评分与中年时期的 IPV 受害经历有关，而后者又与老年人虐待受害经历有关。这种间接关联在女性中比男性更强。关于特定类型的儿童受害经历，父母身体虐待、性虐待和目睹家庭暴力都通过 IPV 受害经历显著预测了老年人虐待受害经历。我们的研究结果支持一生中不断受害的现象，即一个人从童年到晚年的整个生命历程中会经历反复出现的受害形式。研究结果强调了评估累积受害经历及其对老年人虐待受害者影响的迫切需要。基于生命历程的、以创伤为中心的方法将极大地增强针对老年人虐待的预防和干预服务。
