Intimate partner violence among older LGBT adults: Unique risk factors, issues in reporting and treatment, and recommendations for research, practice, and policy

Although intimate partner violence (IPV) among older LGBT adults is associated with significant negative consequences-including mental and physical health problems, increased hospital and nursing home admissions, and a 300% increased risk of mortality-it remains an overlooked and understudied public health issue. This chapter reviews the limited body of research available regarding IPV among older LGBT adults including its estimated prevalence, risk factors (increased age, disability status, living in poverty), associated myths (caregiver stress drives IPV; older same-sex female partners do not engage in violent behavior), unique presentations (threatening to force a partner into a nursing home in which they are afraid to disclose their LGBT status), unique challenges (a lack of national survey data; sexual minority stress; life-long stigma; health disparities; limited legal protection), and barriers to assessment and treatment (inadequate responses from law enforcement; a lack of age- and LGBT-friendly shelters). Recommendations for future research, culturally competent practice, and policy are also presented.