Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down: Reader Reactions to Online News Stories about IPV in Late Life

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a hidden public health problem that touches nearly one third of all women aged 50+ each year (Bonomi et al., 2007; Mouton, 2003). Incidents of IPV include physical, sexual, and psychological/emotional harm caused by a current or former partner and sometimes include murder (CDC, 2006). Public awareness of IPV in late life is limited due to the social norms and expectations which keep it hidden in the home as well as weak coverage by the news media. The purpose of this study was to analyze online postings to answer the research question – How do online news readers respond to reports of incidents of IPV in late life?