“I Can Breathe Again”: New Study Uncovers Hidden Abuse Behind Closed Doors of Older Women’s Homes

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19^th September 2025

Press Release

Published in:  The Question Journal – Home and Belonging

Available at:  Question - Essays and Art from the Humanities

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A new study has brought to light a rarely acknowledged yet deeply disturbing issue: older women suffering abuse at the hands of family members within their own homes. Led by social researcher Rebecca Zerk, the study challenges the long-held idea of home as a place of comfort and sanctuary, instead revealing it as a site of fear, surveillance and psychological control for many women in later life.

Conducted as part of the Dewis Choice Initiative, the research draws on the lived experiences of seven older women in Wales who endured physical, emotional and psychological abuse by adult children and grandchildren. The paper introduces a crucial new lens through which to understand these experiences, applying the concept of ontological security — the sense of stability, safety and identity we associate with home — to show how abuse shatters this foundation.

For these women, regaining control over their home was not simply about removing the abuser. It was about restoring their sense of self.

Jayne, 70, described the transformation after her abusive son was removed:

“I’m quite happy now... My home is my comfort blanket. When I’m here I’m safe.”

Her words speak to the heart of the study’s findings — that, once reclaimed, the home can again become a place of healing, strength, and self-reclamation.

Rebecca Zerk, the study’s author, said:

“This research highlights the profound psychological toll of living in fear within your own home. Older women’s voices have long been absent from discussions around domestic abuse. Their stories reveal not only the extent of the harm but also the remarkable resilience it takes to rebuild a space of peace, autonomy and dignity.”

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Where previous studies often assumed that home is naturally a place of safety for older people, Zerk’s research calls this assumption into question. Drawing on sociological theories of ontological security, her work shows how abuse by family members strips women of privacy, identity and the right to feel safe in their own space.

“This is not just about violence,” Zerk continued. “It’s about the gradual erosion of a person’s place in the world — and the extraordinary courage it takes to reclaim it. Listening to older women’s voices reveals the deep emotional cost of losing ownership over their homes, but also the strength they show in taking it back. A secure home isn’t just about bricks and mortar — it’s about freedom, dignity and identity.”

The study calls for urgent, specialised support for older survivors of domestic abuse, particularly those seeking to rebuild a sense of safety and independence in their own homes. With an ageing population and growing reliance on intergenerational living arrangements, the findings could not be more timely.

For Jayne, and many women like her, the impact of this research goes beyond academia. It is a powerful testament to survival:

“This is my home now,” she says, smiling. “I feel like a different woman.”