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Edith Cowan University (ECU) has been awarded a highly competitive Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) worth $500,713 to investigate how migration shapes the risks and experiences of older adult abuse in Australia.
The project, led by ECU Vice-Chancellor's Research Fellow Dr Catriona Stevens, will be the first of its kind nationally to examine how migration policy, cultural factors and transnational family dynamics intersect to influence abuse experienced by older migrants.
Dr Catriona Stevens
Dr Stevens said older adult abuse is one of the most serious and least understood issues associated with Australia's ageing population, particularly for migrant communities.
"Australia is facing a rising crisis of violence and abuse towards older people," Dr Stevens said.
"One in six older Australians experience some form of abuse, yet older migrants are often less able to seek help or access support. We urgently need better evidence to understand how migration itself shapes vulnerability, and how we can support safer ageing in multicultural Australia."
Australia has one of the most diverse ageing populations in the world, with 37 per cent of Australians aged over 65 born overseas. While national data shows similar overall rates of abuse for culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) older Australians as the wider population, emerging research shows that migration adds additional and intersecting complexities linked to visa policy, disrupted social networks, cultural expectations and access to culturally safe services.
"My research will provide evidence of the kinds of older adult abuse experienced by migrants in Australia. It will deliver new insights and recommendations to improve the policy and practice needed for our diverse society," Dr Stevens said.
This project builds on Dr Stevens previous research in the fields of migration and ageing and older adult abuse.
It will deliver policy recommendations to support safer ageing in multicultural Australia and resources to inform both community members and professionals working in the field.
