La violenza domestica nei confronti delle donne anziane in Italia: le politiche di contrasto alle prese con sessismo, ageismo e familismo

In Italy, domestic violence against women is a widespread and multifaceted phenomenon that recent public debate has helped bring to light. However, this debate doesn't seem to fully account for the diverse sociodemographic profiles of victims and perpetrators, nor the social contexts in which they are embedded. In particular, domestic violence against elderly women is a less visible and less "problematized" phenomenon. After presenting an extensive review of international literature, this article illustrates and discusses the results of a policy-oriented exploratory research conducted in the Veneto region. Specifically, through semi-structured interviews with a non-representative but diverse sample of key informants – anti-violence center operators, general practitioners, social workers, home care and emergency social service operators, and "Punti Rosa" (Pink Points) operators – the forms, dynamics, and consequences of domestic violence against elderly women are reconstructed and analyzed, as well as the intervention methods of the dedicated institutional service network. By discussing the strengths and weaknesses of prevention and protection strategies that consider the specificities of the victims and their contexts, the analysis helps identify tools for understanding and intervention, useful for implementing policies and protection actions that are more responsive to the needs of elderly women who are victims of domestic violence.