Domestic Violence Against Older Adults in Rural Areas of Western Poland: A Characterization Based on the Accounts of Female Victims

This article presents the results of qualitative research aimed at understanding violence against older women in Polish homes. Two research objectives were set: (1) to understand the beliefs of the research participants concerning the sources of domestic violence, and (2) to understand how the participants perceived the various forms of violence occurring within their households. The characteristic consequences of prolonged exposure to domestic abuse were shown to be marginalization and being unable to lead a safe, fulfilling life as an older adult citizen. These effects were linked to a long process of identity change occurring within socio-cultural templates that have perpetuated dysfunctional relations and domestic abuse in rural families and communities.