We can’t forget older women in conversations about sexual abuse

Only 1 out of 24 cases of elder abuse are reported, according to the WHO. It’s time that we take a stand to help older women live in safety.

Women above the age of 60 have the lowest reported cases of sexual abuse. Photo: Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

By Catherine Morrison

With the rise of the #MeToo movement, young and middle-aged women feel more empowered than ever before to speak about their experiences of sexual abuse. But conversations about this issue tend to ignore a growing population — older women.

Women above the age of 60 have the lowest reported cases of sexual abuse. But, that doesn’t mean they don’t experience sexual abuse. According to the World Health Organization, the prevalence of sexual abuse in older victims is 0.9% in community settings and 1.9% in institutional settings. While these statistics may not seem alarming, a WHO study also found that only 1 in 24 cases of elder abuse is reported.

There are a number of barriers older survivors of abuse — sexual violence in particular — face when reporting experiences of sexual abuse: namely, a lack of information about sexual assault, biases regarding older people’s sexuality, and power dynamics.

Additionally, the majority of sexual abuse of older women happens in residential care homes, where nine studies from six different countries found that 64% of staff in residential care…