Starting point and question:

Physical, psychological and sexualized violence in couple relationships (GiP), which predominantly affects women as victims, is a central issue of human rights protection worldwide and the Federal Republic of Germany has also made commitments at international level to combat all forms of GiP. According to a representative study commissioned by the BMFSFJ, one in four women between the ages of 16 and 85 has experienced physical and/or sexual partner violence at least once in her life. Hellfeld data and scientific findings to date show that domestic violence does not stop at an older age (60+) or, due to various factors, is sometimes perpetrated for the first time by the perpetrators and endured by the victims out of feelings of shame, guilt and fear. However, older people in particular have so far found it difficult to access the existing help and support systems and they are barely reached by them.

If those affected by violence live in rural areas, the problem of help and support accumulates due to an even stronger taboo and the only incompletely existing help system or one that is only partially suitable for this heterogeneous target group. The planned research project addresses the question of how it can be possible to raise awareness of GiP among older women and men in rural areas. sensitize and to remove the taboo and to activate the willingness to help and support those affected, both in their social environment and among professionals who are potentially involved with older victims of GTP. activate.

Methodological approach and goals:

The research project is a pilot project based in the Bergstraße district. The project pursues three core objectives, the realization of which requires a participatory, inter- and transdisciplinary dialogue with practical experience. The professional and socio-spatial expertise of professionals and volunteers in the field of violence protection and open senior citizen work is to be included in the research and development process throughout.

First: Development of a scientifically based, target group-oriented concept for public relations work to raise awareness of and activate older women and men against violence. The concept forms the basics for the development of target group-specific public relations materials.

Secondly: Creation of a "country" or "network map" with the help of an indicator-led social space analysis of existing resources in the district on the problem of IP among older people: on the one hand with regard to psychosocial help and support facilities for domestic violence and senior-related specialist services, and on the other hand with regard to civil society services such as neighbourhood help, social networks and civic engagement, target group-related meeting places, etc.

Thirdly, public relations and the "network map" should help to remove the taboos surrounding the problem of violence against older women and men and promote the willingness and ability of professionals and civil society actors to combat violence in the sense of a regional networking chain to be initiated. regional networking chain to be initiated as a preventive and interventive measure.