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The elderly victim of rape.
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. 37232.
Southern Medical Journal
|August 1, 1989
Summary
Sexual assault against elderly women is often misunderstood. This study found that these assaults are driven by anger and a need for power, not sexual desire, and may be serial in nature.
Area of Science:
- Criminology
- Gerontology
- Sociology
Background:
- A prevalent misconception links sexual assault to victim's attire or behavior.
- Elderly victims of sexual assault are a vulnerable demographic often overlooked in research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the motivations and patterns of sexual assaults involving elderly victims.
- To challenge common misconceptions regarding sexual violence against older adults.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 740 reported sexual assaults.
- Focused examination of 21 cases involving victims aged 60-90 years.
Main Results:
- Elderly victims were predominantly white, while assailants were more often black compared to younger victims.
- Data suggest a pattern of serial assaults perpetrated by a small group of offenders.
- Assailants targeting elderly women appear motivated by anger and power, not sexual arousal.
Conclusions:
- The findings indicate that sexual assaults on elderly women are driven by factors such as anger and racial bias, rather than sexual desire.
- The serial nature of these assaults by a limited number of offenders highlights a critical public safety concern.
- Further research is needed to understand and prevent sexual violence against the elderly.