Physical, psychological and sexualized intimate partner violence (IPV), 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 IPV. 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 IP among older women and men in rural areas, to remove the taboos surrounding the problem and to activate the willingness to provide help and support for those affected both in their social environment and among professionals who are potentially involved with older victims of IP.

Methodological approach and goals:

The research project is a pilot project based in the Rheingau-Taunus district. The project pursues three core objectives, the realization of which requires an innovative, participatory and dialogical cooperation with the practice partners, whose professional and socio-spatial expertise is to be included in the research and development process throughout.

First: Development of a scientifically based, target group-oriented concept for public relations to raise awareness of and activate older women's and men's GIP. 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 take preventive and interventive action to counter violence in the sense of a regional networking chain to be initiated.

Results from the practical student projects

In the summer semester of 2019 and the winter semester of 2019/2020, 24 students from the 5th and 6th semesters worked on a teaching-research project on the topic of violence in older couples in rural areas. After in-depth theoretical work and numerous excursions and dialogues with experts from the practical experience of Social Work, the students developed their own public relations projects for the Rheingau Taunus district. This resulted in the following products:

1. an audio contribution for radio stations to raise awareness of the problem

2. a short clip "Violence knows no age", published on you tube and google drive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0jXEi2aXqcoder

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1miaRnWVnXaj_FEMAEvU5lnmcoGJv4MXf

3. a poster and postcard campaign for the town of Idstein

4. a newspaper article

5. and 6. interactive information stands in Eltville and Bad Schwalbach in the run-up to Christmas to inform passers-by and encourage them to think.