Preventing and Combating Elder Mistreatment in Flanders (Belgium): General Overview

In Flanders, the state that comprises the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, the structural attention given to the problem of elder mistreatment has grown slowly throughout the last decade. Equivalent to the evolution in most other western countries, there is nevertheless still a great lack of scientific research, and several governments (federal, regional, supralocal, and local) are still very reluctant to provide sufficient means in order to prevent and combat elder mistreatment. This article aims to present a general overview of the current state of affairs in the regional state of Flanders to address elder mistreatment. More concretely, it will highlight the history of the Flemish Reporting Point for Elder Abuse, what its aims are, and what definition and typology of elder mistreatment it uses in its daily activities. Because of the importance of well-conducted scientific research and excellent academic support in order for policymakers and social services to deal efficiently with elder mistreatment, the lack of scientific research in Flanders also will be briefly highlighted.