Elder Abuse in the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) (ICPSR 36808)

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Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of psychological abuse and physical abuse against women and men aged 70 or older.

Study Design View help for Study Design

Analyses used the final respondent-level and perpetrator-level data files archived under ICPSR 36140. The final perpetrator-level data (36140 dataset 4) was used to examine the relationships between respondents and sexual violence perpetrators. Researchers determined whether each sexual violence perpetrator was a current or former intimate partner. Data were then aggregated to the respondent-level to determine if respondents had any sexual violence perpetrators who were intimate partners and any sexual violence perpetrators who were not. Details are provided in Chapter 2 ("Relationships with Sexual Violence Perpetrators") of the User Guide; the syntax file is included in Appendix A ("SV PERPS.SPS").

Elder composites were computed using the final respondent-level data (36140 dataset 3). These composites include psychological abuse (which includes expressive aggression and coercive control) and physical abuse (which includes physical violence and sexual violence). New variables were created to examine whether respondents were victimized by intimate partners only, non-intimate partners only, or both. Finally, correlates of elder abuse were created. These include race and ethnicity, gender, household income, marital status, living arrangement, romantic involvement, having limited activities, requiring medical equipment, housing insecurity, food insecurity, health care insecurity, physical health, and mental health. Details are provided in Chapter 3 ("Elder Abuse Composites and Correlates") of the User Guide; the syntax file is included in Appendix B ("ELDER COMPOSITES.SPS").

Past year prevalence rates were calculated in SAS using the SURVEYMEANS and SURVEYFREQ procedures for the analysis of complex sample survey data. Correlates of elder abuse were then identified using the SURVEYLOGISTIC procedure. Details are provided in Chapter 4 ("Final Analysis") of the User Guide; the syntax file is included in Appendix C ("FINAL ELDER ANALYSIS.SAS").

Sample View help for Sample

Data were originally collected using a dual-frame, stratified random digit dial (RDD) sampling design. Details are available from ICPSR 36140 and 34305.

Time Method View help for Time Method

Universe View help for Universe

Adult women and men aged 70 years or older in the United States.

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Description of Variables View help for Description of Variables

This study features a single dataset comprised of 30 variables and 18,049 cases drawn from perpetrator-level and respondent-level data in ICPSR 36140.

Relationships with Sexual Violence Perpetrators

The final perpetrator-level data file (36140 dataset 4) included 51,535 observations and 446 variables. Perpetrators were selected for secondary analysis if they (1) abused a respondent who was 70 years of age or older and (2) committed one of the sexual violence behaviors in SV1, SV2, SV3, or SV5 to SV22 in the past year. SV4 was excluded because it is not specific to sexual violence.

For this analysis, researchers coded perpetrators as intimate partners if they were first identified in the Psychological Aggression (PA), Coercive Control and Entrapment (CCE), or Physical Violence (PV) sections of the questionnaire. In these sections, respondents were asked about experiences they had with romantic or sexual partners, including anybody they had been involved with romantically or sexually (e.g., spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, people they dated, people they were seeing, or people they hooked up with). If perpetrators were first identified in the elder abuse sections (Psychological Aggression [EPA], Coercive Control and Entrapment [ECCE], or Physical Violence [EPV] sections), they were coded as non-intimate partners. In these sections, respondents were asked about experiences with other people, such as friends, people who help them with things they need, or family members other than spouses. Finally, if perpetrators were first identified in the Stalking (ST) or Sexual Violence (SV) sections, information about the relationship status at the first and last victimization was examined (in these sections, respondents were asked about experiences with anyone, including romantic or sexual partners, other people they knew, and strangers). If perpetrators were intimate partners at the first victimization, they were coded as intimate partners.

Details on the categorization of sexual violence perpetrators are provided in Table 2.1 of the User Guide. Two variables were created to capture the relationship between respondents and sexual violence perpetrators ("IP" and "NONIP"). "IP" indicates whether the perpetrator was an intimate partner. "NONIP" indicates whether the perpetrator was not an intimate partner. Both variables are required because some respondents may have some sexual violence perpetrators that were intimate partners and others that were not.

Elder Abuse Composites and Correlates

The final respondent-level data file (36140 dataset 3) included 21,378 observations and 493 variables. Respondents were selected for secondary analysis if they were in the general population sample (i.e., SAMPLE = 1). This eliminated respondents that were in the American Indian and Alaska Native oversample. Respondents were identified as elders when they were 70 years old or older.

Elder abuse composites include psychological abuse (which includes expressive aggression and coercive control) and physical abuse (which includes physical violence and sexual violence). New variables were created to determine whether victims of psychological abuse, victims of physical abuse, and victims of any type of abuse were victimized by intimate partners only, non-intimate partners only, or both intimate and non-intimate partners. The variable "PHYS_TYPE" was created to indicate if victims of physical abuse (including physical violence and sexual violence) were victimized by intimate partners only, by non-intimate partners only, or by both intimate and non-intimate partners. Variable "ABUSE_TYPE" was created to indicate if victims of any type of abuse (including physical abuse and psychological abuse) were victimized by intimate partners only, by non-intimate partners only, or by both intimate and non-intimate partners.

Thirteen different elder abuse correlates were computed. These include race and ethnicity, gender, household income, marital status, living arrangement, romantic involvement, having limited activities, requiring medical equipment, housing insecurity, food insecurity, health care insecurity, physical health, and mental health.

Please see the User Guide for additional information on aggregation and the creation of new variables for secondary analysis.

Response Rates View help for Response Rates

The overall weighted response rate for the 2010 data collection for NISVS ranged from 27.5 percent to 33.6 percent.

Presence of Common Scales View help for Presence of Common Scales

None.

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Original Release Date View help for Original Release Date

2018-01-03

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Weight View help for Weight

Sample weights are included in the data. These weights reflect sampling features, non-response, coverage, and sampling variability. There are several main weight components that contributed to final sampling weights: selection, multiplicity, non-response, and post-stratification. Details are available from ICPSR 36140 and 34305.

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