Project website: https://www.fsd.uni-lj.si/raziskovalno_in_razvojno_delo/projekti/aktualni_projekti/2025011709553744/

Project type: CRP

Code: V5-24069

Beginning: 01.10.2024

End: 30.03.2026

Funding: Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency

Co-funding:

Ministry of Solidarity-Based Future

Collaborating organisations:

Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana; Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana

Coordinator: Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, University of Ljubljana

Leader: red. prof. dr. Vesna Leskošek (na FSD)

Associates:

na FSD: red. prof. dr. Vesna Leskošek, asistent – raziskovalec Anže Štrancar

Keywords:

violence, older adults, abuse, neglect, victims, perpetrators, home environment, care facilities, assessment, measurement, cross-sectoral approach, Slovenia

Summary:

Safe living is the right of every individual, and a future built on solidarity is the responsibility of every society. Violence against older adults is aninternationally recognized, widespread, complex, and growing problem of public health and human rights, with consequences that undermine well-being, socio-economic status, cause numerous health issues, or even result in death among older persons. It occurs in different forms andenvironments, including at home, within families, care institutions, public places, and healthcare settings. It can be perpetrated by various actors,including family members, relatives, caregivers, legal guardians, and healthcare workers. Violence and abuse of older persons often go unnoticed,and what is more, in many societies remains a taboo topic.The lack of reliable information and data is one of the obstacles to responding to violence against older persons effectively. Data on violenceexperienced in later life are largely missing, rendering this problem invisible. Older persons rarely participate in research on violence, and theindicators used are not suitable for detecting all forms of violence and abuse against them. Existing estimates for certain types of abuse indicate thebroad scope of the problem. The World Health Organization estimates that one in six persons over the age of 60 has experienced some form ofabuse in a home setting. Rates of abuse are also present in institutions such as nursing homes and long-term care facilities, where two-thirds of thestaff report having committed abuse. The prevalence of such violence increased during the Covid-19 pandemic and is expected to continue rising asmany countries face rapidly aging populations.Measuring the prevalence of violence against older persons and implementing best practices to prevent this problem are important prerequisites forquality of life and safe aging. Attempts to measure violence against older adults have been evolving and changing since the late 1970s, with frequentdiscrepancies and debates in the literature and practice about the suitability of different approaches. Despite existing research, studies on theprevalence of this problem are rare, and measurement methods are not standardized, resulting in discrepancies in the findings of studies examiningthe same issue, which reduces the comparability of data. The dark field is also evident in the fact that not all actual cases are included in officialstatistics due to underreporting. This presents a severe methodological challenge, reflected in the unsystematic and incomplete investigation of theissue, leading to a lack of understanding of the extent and characteristics of violence against older adults. Measuring the prevalence and forms ofsuch violence is a challenging task that requires a multi-stakeholder approach, addressing it at systemic, community, and individual levels.The fundamental issues are related to standardizing approaches to data collection and assessing prevalence, thereby determining the actual scopeof the problem. Accordingly, the research project aims to conduct an in-depth study on violence against older adults to identify various forms ofviolence and determine who the most common victims and perpetrators are. The primary goal is to propose an approach for systematic datacollection that will be useful across sectors and contribute to continuous monitoring of the prevalence of violence against older adults. Given thepurpose and goal, activities will be conducted through several work packages with the specific objectives of:- developing a valid and reliable approach to measuring violence against older adults,- conducting a study on the prevalence of violence against older adults in Slovenia,- identifying various forms of violence against older adults and the characteristics of victims and perpetrators,- preparing a proposal for the systematic, cross-sectoral collection of data on violence against older adults in Slovenia.