“Aging Out” of Violence: The Multiple Faces of Intimate Violence Over the Life Span

Abstract

In this article, we explore how continuous intimate partner violence is experienced in old age and how age and violence interact and change throughout the life span. This is a qualitative study based on a phenomenological perspective focusing on the lived experiences of the elderly who have dwelled in domestic violence most of their lives. The sample consisted of 40 informants. In-depth, semistructured interviews were performed. Content analysis of the interviews yielded four clusters of living in violence over time: (a) The arena of violence is alive and active, (b) violence is in the air, (c) more of the same but differently, and (d) violence through illness to the very end. These clusters are discussed and their implications for practice are suggested.