Based on paper presented at a Council of Europe workshop, abuse of elderly in Europe generally consists of a combination of physical and psychological abuse and financial exploitation. Most countries do not have current statistics on the frequency of elder abuse; some countries report that abuse is hidden due to cultural and social factors. Norwegian government participation seems to be representative of all European countries. Government agencies basically possess no expertise on elder abuse and violence against the elderly usually falls between criminal law and health law. Societal as well as individual responsibility are considered. Cooperation between public and private sectors on this issue is evident in only a few European countries. Special measures aimed at providing housing for elderly and legal rules regarding elderly victims of abuse are inconsistent throughout Europe. Although some centers for abused women exist in Europe, on the whole they do not attract elderly victims. While different countries differ in their opinions about the usefulness of treatment or imprisonment for abusers, there are currently no treatment options for family abusers.