[Abuse and violence against the elderly].

If the problem is not new in its nature, it happens frequently considering the increase of potential victims and aggressors. The elderly are special targets regarding to their fragility and life conditions. Abuse and neglect are related to physical, financial and care aspects. Common law aggressions happen on the public thoroughfare and at home. They lead frequently to delirium. In the bosom of the family 20% of old people are victims of physical brutality or moral cruelty. In the institutions their rate is poorly known and usually hidden. All the industrialized countries are preoccupied by this problem since a few years. Numerous speeches, journals and films are dedicated to these problems. The development of a real family politic in the elderly and an improvement of the education program for the personnel and an increase of the number of social care workers in the institutions may lead to a good prevention of abuse an neglect in the elderly.