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"In the End You Keep Silent": Help-Seeking Behavior Upon Sexual Victimization in Older Adults.
Anne Nobels1,2, Lotte De Schrijver1,3, Mira Van Landuyt1
1Department of Public Health and Primary Care, International Center for Reproductive Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
|December 27, 2023
Summary
Older adults rarely disclose sexual violence or seek professional help due to shame and societal taboos. Healthcare professionals need training to initiate conversations and support older victims of sexual assault.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Mental Health
Background:
- Sexual violence is a significant mental health issue with long-term consequences, including in old age.
- Adult victims face barriers to disclosure and help-seeking, yet older victims' experiences remain understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the help-seeking behaviors of older adults who have experienced sexual violence.
- To understand the barriers and facilitators influencing disclosure and professional help-seeking in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design was employed.
- Data collected via structured interviews with 227 sexual violence survivors aged 70+ in Belgium.
- Qualitative data from 15 in-depth interviews were used for triangulation.
Main Results:
- Up to 60% of older victims never disclosed their experiences; 94% never sought professional help.
- Help-seeking is complex, influenced by shame, self-blame, ageism, and sexual taboos.
- Disclosure, if it occurs, often happens decades later; victims expect professionals to initiate conversations.
Conclusions:
- Older adults seldom disclose sexual violence or seek professional help.
- Healthcare professionals require enhanced training, screening tools, and procedures to address sexual victimization in older populations.
- Initiating conversations and detecting signs are crucial for preventing and responding to sexual violence in older adults.
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