Intimate Partner Violence against older Women (IPVoW)

This project, which was co-ordinator by the German Police University and ran from January 2009 to December 2010, aimed at exploring the issue of and institutional knowledge of IPVOW in the participating countries in order to develop an international perspective on the problem.

A multi-method and multi-perspective approach was taken combining the use of existing data and empirical work undertaken within the frame of the study. Project partners decided not to measure the prevalence of intimate partner violence against older women, because it was believed that the most vulnerable elderly women were generally likely to be the least accessible for research.

Within the project the following research methods were used in every country:

Compilation and analysis of existing national data and research
Standardised postal survey of institutions to determine the extent to which older women who experience intimate partner violence are known to institutions and services
Semi-structured qualitative interviews with staff experienced in working in this area within each country (with case knowledge)
Semi-structured, qualitative in-depth interviews with older women who have expe-rience of intimate partner violence in old age in every participating country
Establishing a national network of interested individuals and organisations in order to mainstream the topic and to develop recommendations for national and international policy
Carrying out an international expert workshop (November 2010) in order to discuss findings and develop international recommendations.

Results are compiled in the national reports (in the languages of the participating countries and in English translation) and in a summary report.