Domestic violence, over five thousand minors witnessed in one year

There is a violence that is not seen, that is not said. It is witnessed violence, which they have suffered at least in 2023 five thousand boys and girls in Italy. Minors witness domestic violence suffered by their mother, often at the hands of their father. This was revealed by the new report prepared by Save The Children withthe Criminal Analysis Service, the joint office of the Department of Public Security, on the data relating to requests for help and intervention received by the police forces. Those carried out in 2023 in Italy, for episodes of “domestic or gender violence” suffered by women were 13793. In good over half of the cases, the perpetrator was linked to the victim: from a romantic relationship, current or past (in particular: in 43.2% of cases the spouse/cohabitant or ex; in 18.3% of cases the partner or ex). Two times out of five, there were minors in the homein more than half of cases (52%) aged 10 or less.

In some cases, boys and girls are also direct victims of domestic violence. The alleged minor victims in 2023 were 2,124. 34% of them are aged between 0 and 6 years; in 18% of cases these are girls and boys aged between 7 and 10 years and the remaining 48% are made up of minors between 11 and 17 years old (24% in both the 11-14 and 15-17 age groups) .

«The data made available by the Criminal Analysis Service are particularly significant for exploring a phenomenon, that of violence suffered by minors within the home, which is still largely hidden», he comments Raffaela Milano, director of Research and Training at Save the Children Italy. “It is violence that has very serious consequences not only for those boys and girls who are direct victims of it, but also for those who witness and witness the violent behavior perpetrated against their mothers.” In the requests for intervention received by the Police Forces, over 2100 are linked to episodes of alleged violence against minors.

Whether direct or witnessed, violence against boys and girls has devastating consequences: psychological, physical, throughout their lives. Their drawings, the silences, the eyes that seek shelter tell it. «Even “assisted” violence leaves deep wounds that are difficult to overcome», continues Raffela Milano. «As Save the Children, we are involved in Italy with intervention projects for the prevention, emergence and protection of women victims of violence, children victims of witnessed violence and minors orphaned by femicide and therefore we note the need to strengthen, within the framework of the new National Anti-Violence Plan, measures for the prevention and early detection of domestic violence and to strengthen long-term support for victims”.