Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviour used by one person to gain or maintain power and control over another in a domestic or intimate relationship.
Domestic Violence and older people
Domestic abuse can affect older people from any background. It can be psychological, emotional, physical, sexual, economic, or a pattern of coercive control. Older people face particular risks of domestic abuse due to their life stage. For example, older people may be more likely to have a physical or cognitive disability or long-term health condition which can place a person in a position of dependency and make it harder to seek support. And older people living on a fixed income, such as a pension, may feel they have few options due to financial insecurity. Others may feel bound by shared assets like a house, mortgage or life savings that can be used against them by an abuser. Click here for more information from Age UK.