Regional Index of child maltreatment in Italy 2021

Cesvi Foundation has presented its 4th Regional Index on Child Maltreatment in Italy with a specific focus on COVID-19 and mental health.

The report evaluates the vulnerability of children to maltreatment in Italian regions by analysing risk factors present in the territory and the capacity of local administrations to prevent and combat child abuse. The 2021 edition of the Index devotes an important and in-depth focus to the impact that the pandemic has had on the mental health of children and their parents.

The research has observed the existence of a "collective trauma from COVID-19”. Its data shows that 43% of Italians reported a deterioration in mental health in the last year. There has been an increase in requests for psychological help by children and adolescents. In addition, from October 2020 until today suicide attempts of adolescents increased by 30%.

As for the regional situation, the report presents an image of a two-speed Italy: in Southern Italy, the risks of child maltreatment are high and the supply of assistance services is generally at a rather low level. The last four positions of the Index are occupied by Campania (20th) Sicily (19th), Calabria (18th) and Puglia (17th). On the contrary, eight regions of northern Italy are above the national average for the capacity of dealing with child maltreatment. The regional index of child maltreatment in Italy is topped by Trentino-Alto Adige (1st), which for the first time surpasses Emilia-Romagna (2nd). This year Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto and Umbria also appear in the top five of the index.

The full report is available below.

Cesvi is an independent Italian humanitarian organisation, founded in Bergamo in 1985. Cesvi operates worldwide to support the most vulnerable populations in promoting human rights and achieving their ambitions for sustainable development.