Prevalence, Patterns, and Proximal Impacts of Family Violence among Older versus Younger Adults: A Characterization and Comparison of Assault Related Injuries Treated in U.S. Hospital Emergency Departments

Family violence threatens the functioning of the most important social institution and primary group. Its presence jeopardizes the physical and mental well-being of family members and disrupts the family system.  Family violence also significantly impairs the ability of individuals and families to contribute to the social, cultural, and economic sustainability of their communities.  While family violence affects persons of all ages, the experience of family violence by older adults may occur in contexts and have consequences that differ vastly from those of younger populations.  This may be particularly true when focusing on incidents producing injuries severe enough to warrant use of a hospital emergency department.  The current study uses a unique mixture of quantitative and qualitative data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP) Special Study of Interpersonal Violence from 2006-2012 to describe the epidemiologic characteristics of physical assaults among older adults (persons aged ≥60) in the United States, focusing specifically on cases involving family violence.  The NEISS-AIP data are also used to compare the characteristics and consequences of family violence related assaults among older adults with those observed among younger victims of family violence (persons aged 18 to 59).  The findings from this study will shed light on the prevalence, patterns, and threats of family violence to public and family health and provide insights for efforts that can create safe, stable, nurturing environments and relationships for persons of all ages.