Bullying in Old Age: A Qualitative Study on Older Adults' Perceptions About Being Bullied.
J Interpers Violence
; 37(5-6): 2896-2919, 2022 03.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32706291
Significant demographic changes and a growing aging population increasingly emphasize the importance of assessing phenomena of violence against older adults, who constitute a vulnerable population. Therefore, bullying in old age is a poorly studied phenomena, but of growing importance. This study aims to analyze the perspectives of bullying in old age, using qualitative research at a cross-national level. We interviewed 173 older participants aged 65-91 years. Participants were Portuguese and English and lived in the community. Participants were subjected to semi-structured interviews. All the interviews went through a process of content analysis. Sample recruitment occurred through initial telephone contact, followed by a request to participate. Outcomes of content analysis produced seven themes, all of them associated with bullying experiences such as compromised learning capacity, loss of sense of agency and decision-making, asexuality, less attractive appearance, less social skills, gender discrimination, and less financial resources. Portuguese older adults felt mostly bullied for their loss of sense of agency and decision-making, less attractive appearance, less social skills, and less financial resources, while English participants mostly felt bullied for their compromised learning capacity, gender discrimination, and asexuality. The themes identified as being the most prominent in bullying are valuable guidelines for social policies and interventions toward bullying among older adults. Considering the scarcity of studies on bullying in older adults, this study is relevant for understanding the experience of older adults in relation to being bullied and for implementing psychosocial intervention programs including bullying situations that affect community-dwelling older adults.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Acoso Escolar
Tipo de estudio:
Qualitative_research
Aspecto:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Límite:
Aged
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Interpers Violence
Asunto de la revista:
CIENCIAS SOCIAIS
Año:
2022
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Portugal
Pais de publicación:
Estados Unidos