The future of age-friendly cities and communities (AFCC) needs to adapt and be more agile to the changing needs of residents of all ages. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing ‘the Decade' provides a unique opportunity to further strengthen age-friendly environments. The Decade brings together governments, civil society, international agencies, professionals, academics, the media and the private sector for 10 years of concerted action to improve the lives of older people, their families and the communities in which they live. This editorial serves as a thought piece and outlines recommendations for the imminent and future discourse surrounding digital transformation, digital skills/literacy and financial implications on societal citizens in the AFCC discourse. Action is needed now, and this can only be achieved by talking openly about the real issues and concerns affecting people in our communities and in the future.
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The development of ‘age-friendly cities’ has become a major area of work in the field of ageing and the built environment. This movement is driven by the observation that cities are home to an ever-increasing ageing population. Over the past decade, a multitude of age-friendly initiatives have been developed with the aim of making physical and social environments more favourable for older people's well-being, health and ability to live in the community. This article explores ten key questions associated with the age-friendly cities and communities' movement, with a particular focus on the built environment. It provides an overview of the history of the age-friendly cities' movement and the underlying models, the aspects of the built environment that are relevant for age-friendly cities, the ways age-friendliness can be evaluated, and the interactions between age-friendly cities initiatives and other strategic agendas such as smart cities. The paper concludes by discussing future perspectives and possible directions for further development of the age-friendly movement. © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.107922 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jvhoof1980/
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Online support communities are gaining attention among child-attracted persons (CAPs). Though research has largely focused on the negative consequences these environments create for potential offending, they may also provide a beneficial alternative to more formal treatment settings. To assess the utility for clinical and therapeutic purposes, this analysis focused on subcultural dynamics to examine self-reported wellbeing outcomes of participation in a Dutch forum for CAPs. A total of 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with moderators, members and mental health professionals involved in the community. Thematic analyses demonstrated that by means of informal social control, bonds of trust and social relational education, the network aims to regulate the behavior and enhance the wellbeing of its marginalized participants. Key outcomes include a decreased sense of loneliness and better coping with stigma, to the point that participants experience less suicidal thoughts. Association with prosocial peers also helps to set moral boundaries regarding behavior towards children, although we cannot fully rule out potential adverse influences. Online support networks offer a stepping stone to professional care that fits individual needs of CAPs, while also providing an informal environment that overcomes limitations of physical therapy and that extents principles of existing prevention and desistance approaches. Gepubliceerd door uitgever Sage: Bekkers, L. M. J., Leukfeldt, E. R., & Holt, T. J. (2024). Online Communities for Child-Attracted Persons as Informal Mental Health Care: Exploring Self-Reported Wellbeing Outcomes. Sexual Abuse, 36(2), 158-184. https://doi.org/10.1177/10790632231154882
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