Research on abuse is often piecemeal and focused on specific forms, populations, and social situations. As a result, these studies tend to ignore the web of abuse resulting from the interactive effects of various forms of abuse over the life course, together referred to as “lifetime abuse.” An examination of abuse from the point of view of older adults is likely to provide a lifetime perspective based on linking child abuse to elder abuse over the life course and an assessment of its consequences. Despite the growing awareness and resulting body of knowledge regarding this phenomenon, proposed theoretical formulations about it remain limited. The present article aimed to conceptualize the multifaceted phenomenon of lifetime abuse and to gain a deeper perspective of the topic by understanding its dimensions, meanings, and experiences in older age, based on a critical review of empirical studies. A model is suggested, which can be useful for future exploration and understanding of lifetime abuse. Based on a critical review of previous studies, we suggest a theoretical framework of lifetime abuse from the perspective of older adults, identifying three key domains: (a) perception of time and life review in old age; (b) cumulative and interactive abusive life events; and (c) resilience versus vulnerability over the life course. We propose a heuristic model to explore and understand lifetime abuse. We believe our proposed model is open to reflection and elaboration and is intended to raise questions that could enhance the need for our understanding of lifetime abuse in old age.

中文翻译：

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重新思考晚年的终身虐待


对虐待的研究往往是零碎的，并且集中于特定的形式、人群和社会情境。因此，这些研究往往忽略了生命过程中各种形式的虐待相互作用产生的虐待网络，统称为“终身虐待”。从老年人的角度来审视虐待行为，可能会基于将儿童虐待与虐待老人在生命过程中联系起来并对其后果进行评估，从而提供一生的视角。尽管人们对这一现象的认识不断增强，知识体系不断增强，但有关它的理论表述仍然有限。本文旨在对终身虐待的多方面现象进行概念化，并在对实证研究的批判性回顾的基础上，通过了解其维度、意义和老年经历，对这一主题有更深入的了解。建议建立一个模型，这对于未来探索和理解终身虐待很有用。基于对以往研究的批判性回顾，我们从老年人的角度提出了一个终身虐待的理论框架，确定了三个关键领域：(a) 老年时间观念和生活回顾； (b) 累积的和互动的虐待生活事件； (c) 生命历程中的复原力与脆弱性。我们提出了一个启发式模型来探索和理解终身虐待。我们相信我们提出的模型值得反思和阐述，旨在提出一些问题，以增强我们对老年终身虐待的理解。