Special tools in care for elderly female victims

5.4.5.5. Special tools in care for elderly female victims

Is there a need for special tools in dealing with elderly female IPV victims?

Table V.9.

Experience concerning care for elderly female victims of IPV (N=52) Existing support systems are adequate for the needs of older female

victims of IPV. 2,1

Professionals working with older female victims of IPV should themselves

be middle-aged or older. 4,0

Older women experiencing intimate partner violence need more

proac-tive forms of assistance than younger women. 4,1

Older women experiencing IPV are more reluctant to seek help than

younger women. 4,6

HUNGARY

Older women experiencing IPV are more ashamed of what has happened

to them than younger women. 4,7

Working with older female victims of IPV requires specialist professional

training. 4,8

It is difficult to motivate older female victims of IPV to seek help. 5,1

We find answers regarding care for elderly female victims in 52 questionnaires.

Surprisingly, responses were given at a higher rate by experts who had not met with any cases (72 %) than by those who had met with cases (58 %). There seemed to be strong understanding regarding the question whether ”It is diffi-cult to motivate older female victims of IPV to seek help.” This opinion confirms our conviction that it is necessary to find the support services that expressly adjust to the peculiar features of elderly female victims. The same point is sup-ported by the high rate of agreement with the following three statements, which stress the importance of special training for experts (average 4.8); elderly fe-male victims’ sense of shame (average 4.7) and elderly fefe-male victims’ reluctant to seek help conduct (average 4.6). Consequently, experts agree to a great ex-tent that the care system must be properly prepared for dealing with elderly female victims of IPV. This can advance that elderly female victims should dare and be able to seek help.

5.4.5.6. Latency

In the last group of opinion questions, we asked that in the experts’ view how many percent of victims aged 20-40 and 60+ seek help. Actually, this question group provides a kind of estimate on latency in the scope of young and older victims. Experts responded to this question at a high rate, the number of res-pondents was 69-74 (number of total questionnaires = 79). The following table shows the average of the opinion of total respondents.

HUNGARY

Graph V.6.

In your opinion how many % of IPV victims aged 20-40 and 60+ seek help?

In general, respondents judged that victims aged 20-40 seek help at a higher rate than victims over 60. Only concerning help from the church was the figure of older people higher. Experts held the view that victims of violence mostly turn to a physician: every fourth-fifth in the young age group and every seventh-eighth among the elderly. Definitely less victims report the case to the police (16.3 % of young victims, and merely 6.3 % of the elderly). In the opinion of respondents both the rate of using external help is low and, unfortunately, the rate of victims who turn to family members, friends is very low (12.5 % and 9.2

% respectively). All this implies that in our society IPV is still considered a topic what victims find difficult to talk about and regarding which they get help with difficulties. As a matter of fact, these opinion questions are not suitable for mea-suring real latency. They provide a kind of estimate from the aspect of those who might meet or, for that matter, not meet with such cases.

Based on the opinion of experts working at various institutions, significantly different “seek help paths” can be identified for older and younger victims.

16,3

21,3 14,3

10,0 12,5

6,3

13,4 4,7

13,6 9,2

0,0 5,0 10,0 15,0 20,0 25,0

pressing criminal charges seeking medical

help seeking psycho-social assistance seeking help by the

clergy seeking other help

60+ years old 20-40 years old

HUNGARY

Table V.10.

What help do a 20-40 years old IPV victims seek?

Institution type N of institu-tions

Type of help % of victims seek it

Violence service 12 Psycho-social 23,8

Law enforcement 21 Medical 29

Health service 6 Every kinds of help under mean Other service 4 Psycho-social

Clergy

25,7 25,7

In the opinion of experts of violence service and other service type institutions every fourth of 20-40 years old victims will seek psycho-social type help. These institutions themselves provide such services. So, they feel, on the one hand, that latency can be approx. four times the number of identified victims in the young age group, and, on the other hand, that victims mostly use their services.

Experts of law enforcement institutions hold the view that use of physician’s help is the most frequent in the young age group. As interviews reveal, the police and other legal institutions maintain work relations primarily with health institu-tions. It is noteworthy that workers of health institutions deem that victims use any help to a low extent. It can be presumed that they meet with numerous cases where they notice traces of violence but the victims deny it and do not seek help.

Table V. 11.

What help do 60+ IPV victims seek?

Institution type N of insti-tutions

Type of help % of victims seek it

Violence service 12 Medical 17,2

Law enforcement 21 Medical 19,9

Health service 6 Medical 18,8

Organizations specialized in violence, legal and health institutions all hold the view that older victims seek medical help at a relatively high rate. So, old vic-tims demand primarily medical treatment of their injuries, and by the medical treatment they conclude the violence. A greater part of young victims seek other kind of supporting help too. Consequently, the responsibility of health institu-tions is very significant since a relatively considerable part of old victims appear on their horizon. If they observe violence, they are bound by obligation to report set forth in law. Only in a fraction of cases is this implemented. Often, victims

HUNGARY

themselves do not want to accept any further help although they are in need of such help. So, it would be necessary to develop a closer relation between the experts of health institutions and the experts of the social care system and the care system helping victims. The aim to be achieved would be to attain that elderly female victims should not get help only in treating their physical injuries.

5.5.