Sexual Violence against Adults Aged 50 Years and Older and Implications for Prevention: A Thematic Analysis of Service Providers’ Perceptions

Abstract

At-risk older adults and older survivors of sexual violence (SV) remain largely absent from SV prevention and intervention, owing to ageism and sexism, as well as other intersectional forms of prejudice, including among service providers (e.g., social workers, healthcare professionals, practitioners in SV organizations, and practitioners who serve older adults). This study explored perceptions, knowledge and experiences with SV against adults 50 years and older. Service providers who work with older adults and/or survivors were recruited, owing to where SV in later life is reported (e.g., healthcare, long-term care, and social service organizations, and to police in addition to SV service organizations), to contribute to the limited research in this area and to advance prevention and intervention. A survey was conducted on SV in later life, exploring knowledge, perceptions and experiences with SV in later life along with potential solutions for prevention and intervention among 126 service providers who worked with survivors and/or older adults. Their responses were thematically analyzed. Five themes were identified: (a) misconceptions of SV in later life and unique barriers to preventing it; (b) needs for knowledge, awareness, research and education; (c) policy and resource development; (d) victim blame and internalized stigma, and (e) ageism, intersectional prejudice and rape culture. The findings offer an in-depth understanding of barriers to prevention, and intervention, and multi-level recommendations for addressing them, which are provided by a diverse group of service providers who have worked with older adults and/or with survivors, reflecting multidisciplinary practice wisdom and experience.