Despite the documented increasing prevalence of elder abuse victimization and its devastating health effects, a life-course view of the victimization experiences of older adults has rarely been adopted in the elder abuse literature. The current study investigated lifetime links between victimization experiences by examining the indirect effect of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) on elder abuse victimization via intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization in middle adulthood, and whether this indirect association would differ by gender. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we analyzed the previous and current victimization experiences of a total of 5,391 older adults in their early 70s and estimated mediational and moderated mediation models. The key results indicated that a higher ACE score was associated with exposure to IPV victimization in middle adulthood, which was in turn associated with exposure to elder abuse victimization. This indirect association was stronger for women than for men. Regarding specific types of childhood victimization, parental physical abuse, sexual abuse, and witnessing domestic violence significantly predicted elder abuse victimization via IPV victimization. Our results support the phenomenon of lifetime victimization, whereby an individual experiences reoccurring forms of victimization across the life course from childhood to late adulthood. Findings highlight the compelling need for the assessment of cumulative victimization experiences and their impact on elder abuse victims. A life-course-based, trauma-informed approach would greatly enhance prevention and intervention services for elder abuse.

中文翻译：

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终生再受害：来自威斯康星州纵向研究的证据


尽管有记录表明虐待老人受害的普遍性及其对健康的破坏性影响，但虐待老人文献很少采用老年人受害经历的生命历程观点。目前的研究通过检查童年不良经历 （ACE） 对成年中期通过亲密伴侣暴力 （IPV） 受害使老人受害的间接影响，以及这种间接关联是否会因性别而异，调查了受害经历之间的终生联系。使用威斯康星州纵向研究的数据，我们分析了总共 5,391 名 70 岁出头的老年人以前和现在的受害经历，并估计了中介和调节中介模型。主要结果表明，较高的 ACE 评分与成年中期暴露于 IPV 受害有关，而 IPV 受害又与暴露于虐待老人有关。女性的这种间接关联比男性强。关于特定类型的童年受害，父母的身体虐待、性虐待和目睹家庭暴力显着预测了通过 IPV 受害导致老年人虐待受害。我们的结果支持终生受害现象，即个体在从童年到成年晚期的整个生命过程中经历反复出现的受害形式。研究结果突出了评估累积受害经历及其对虐待老人受害者的影响的迫切需求。基于生命历程、创伤知情的方法将大大加强对虐待老人的预防和干预服务。