ABSTRACT
Despite a general absence of older survivors in the existing literature, there have been some efforts to shed light on the issue over the last few decades. This important but disparate work currently spans three fields of enquiry: elder abuse, domestic violence and sexual violence. These three bodies of work have distinct conceptual and theoretical underpinnings which influence the focus, methodologies and findings of the research. In this chapter the available evidence on the numbers, nature and characteristics of victim survivors, perpetrators and offences is considered, and the similarities and differences across the disciplines are highlighted. The chapter provides an overview of what has previously been known about sexual violence against older women, highlighting the gaps in knowledge and limitations of the current work.
