@article{b385cc3215014a2184149459c0b29dc9,
title = "Gender, Protection Orders, and Intimate Partner Violence in Later Life: A Study of Protective Order Filings in Arizona",
abstract = "Most analyses of domestic violence and older adults focus on abuse by children and non-intimate caregivers. However, a significant percentage of elder abuse is perpetrated by an intimate partner. This article addresses a gap in the current literature on elder abuse by addressing how older survivors of intimate partner violence use the legal system as a tool to achieve safety by filing for a civil protection order. We critically examine 607 Arizona protection order filings in 2015, comparing those petitions filed by adults 50 and older (n = 83) with those younger than 50 (n = 524). We find significant differences in the forms of violence described in the protection order petition, as well as the types of relationships between the petitioner and respondent, the likelihood that an order will be issued, and the provisions requested and granted. Most importantly, gender is a critical component of our analysis—older petitioners are far more likely to be men than younger petitioners, and both petitions and outcomes are very different for older men than for older women. These results are then discussed in the context of the dynamics of older relationships, current firearm laws, and the barriers older adults face when attempting to use resources intended to help survivors achieve safety.",
keywords = "courts, domestic violence, elder abuse, gender, intimate partner violence, older abuse, protection orders",
author = "Alesha Durfee and Leigh Goodmark",
note = "Funding Information: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8518-2453 Durfee Alesha 1 Goodmark Leigh 2 1 Arizona State University, Tempe, USA 2 University of Maryland Carey School of Law, Baltimore, USA Alesha Durfee, School of Social Transformation, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 876403, Tempe, AZ 85287-6403, USA. Email: Alesha.Durfee@asu.edu 11 2019 0886260519884688 {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2019 2019 SAGE Publications Most analyses of domestic violence and older adults focus on abuse by children and non-intimate caregivers. However, a significant percentage of elder abuse is perpetrated by an intimate partner. This article addresses a gap in the current literature on elder abuse by addressing how older survivors of intimate partner violence use the legal system as a tool to achieve safety by filing for a civil protection order. We critically examine 607 Arizona protection order filings in 2015, comparing those petitions filed by adults 50 and older ( n = 83) with those younger than 50 ( n = 524). We find significant differences in the forms of violence described in the protection order petition, as well as the types of relationships between the petitioner and respondent, the likelihood that an order will be issued, and the provisions requested and granted. Most importantly, gender is a critical component of our analysis—older petitioners are far more likely to be men than younger petitioners, and both petitions and outcomes are very different for older men than for older women. These results are then discussed in the context of the dynamics of older relationships, current firearm laws, and the barriers older adults face when attempting to use resources intended to help survivors achieve safety. intimate partner violence domestic violence elder abuse older abuse gender protection orders courts National Institute of Justice https://doi.org/10.13039/100005289 2015-IJ-CX-0013 edited-state corrected-proof Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Funding The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This project was supported by Award No. 2015-IJ-CX0013, awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice. ORCID iD Alesha Durfee https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8518-2453 Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This project was supported by Award No. 2015-IJ-CX0013, awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Of?ce of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, ?ndings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily re?ect those of the Department of Justice. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2019.",
year = "2021",
month = nov,
doi = "10.1177/0886260519884688",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "36",
pages = "10479--10498",
journal = "Journal of interpersonal violence",
issn = "0886-2605",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",
number = "21-22",
}