La mediazione familiare nei casi di affido dei figli/e e violenza domestica: contesto legale, pratiche dei servizi ed esperienze delle donne in Italia

L’applicabilità della mediazione familiare in contesto di violenza domestica (VD) è oggetto di discussione. Scopo della ricerca è esplorare il ruolo della mediazione familiare nella gestione degli affidi dei figli in situazione di VD, analizzando le esperienze, conoscenze e significati di differenti attori sociali, quali avvocati, assistenti sociali e donne separate con figli, vittime di VD, e la documentazione inerente. I risultati mostrano che la VD viene occultata durante la mediazione. I professionisti spesso ignorano la VD e di conseguenza applicano la mediazione; ex-coniugi e genitori vengono presentati come distinti; i pattern di potere e controllo agiti dal partner violento durante la relazione continuano in queste occasioni. La mediazione, che dovrebbe essere centrata sul miglior interesse del bambino, si focalizza sul miglior interesse dei padri. I professionisti non conoscono la Convenzione di Istanbul. La sicurezza di donne e bambini/e viene messa a rischio. Le recours à la médiation familiale dans le domaine de la violence conjugale (VC) fait l’objet de débats. Cette recherche a pour but d’examiner le rôle de la médiation familiale dans les cas de garde d’enfants en situation de VC, analysant les expériences, les connaissances, les valeurs de différents acteurs sociaux (par exemple, avocats, travailleurs sociaux, femmes séparées avec enfants, victimes de VC) ainsi que des documents ad hoc. Les résultats montrent que la VC est dissimulée pendant la médiation. Les professionnels souvent ignorent la VC et par conséquent utilisent la médiation ; ex-conjoints et parents sont par ailleurs présentés sous la forme de deux entités distinctes ; les modèles de pouvoir et de contrôle appliqués par le conjoint violent dans la vie familiale continuent d’être utilisés durant ces occasions. La médiation, qui devrait protéger avant tout l'intérêt de l'enfant, s’adresse au contraire à l’intérêt des pères. Les professionnels ne connaissent pas la Convention d’Istanbul. La sécurité des femmes et de leurs enfants est mise en danger. The family mediation’s applicability in domestic violence (DV) cases is discussed. Aim of this research is to explore the role of family-mediation in the management of child custody in DV cases, analysing the experiences and knowledge of different social actors - lawyers, social workers and separated women with children, victims of DV - and legal documents. Results showed that violence against women and children was concealed. Professionals ignore DV and so apply mediation as a rule; ex-spouses and parents are presented as distinct from each other; the perpetrators’ patterns of power and control continue during mediation. Family mediation should be focused on the children’s best interest but it is focused on the fathers’ best interest. Professionals unknown the Istanbul Convention. The safety of children and women was put again at risk

Donne vittime di violenza da parte del partner: quali strade per chidere aiuto?

La ricerca di sostegno sociale ha un ruolo centrale nell’uscita dalla violenza; avere figli (nel testo verrà utilizzato il sostantivo “figli” per indicare l’insieme dei figli e delle figlie delle donne) e divenire consapevoli degli effetti che la violenza ha su di loro è spesso l’elemento chiave che spinge le donne a ricercare aiuto. Questo studio ha l’obiettivo di indagare quali fonti di aiuto le donne contattano prima di rivolgersi ad un Centro Antiviolenza (CAV) e di analizzare le circostanze in cui lo fanno. A tal fine è stato condotto uno studio trasversale in cinque CAV del Nord Italia. Centocinquantuno donne hanno compilato autonomamente un questionario anonimo. Le donne hanno riportato elevati livelli di tutte le tipologie di violenza; i figli erano, nella maggior parte dei casi, direttamente coinvolti nelle violenze. Il 33% delle donne ha riferito di aver contattato 4 o più fonti di aiuto prima di arrivare al CAV. Il coinvolgimento dei figli nelle violenze ha portato le donne a rivolgersi a più fonti di aiuto rispetto alle situazioni in cui i figli non erano coinvolti. I risultati sottolineano l’importanza di formare tutti i professionisti e le professioniste che potrebbero incontrare nel loro percorso professionale delle donne che hanno subito o che stanno subendo violenza. La demande d’aide et de soutien joue un rôle central pour mettre fin à la violence du partenaire et pour marquer le tournant dans le processus concernant la prise de conscience des effets de la violence sur les enfants. Cette étude vise à examiner les sources d’assistance que les femmes ont contactées avant d’arriver au centre anti-violence et à analyser les circonstances concrètes des cas de figure. Une étude transversale a été menée sur les femmes qui se sont adressées à un centre antiviolence en Italie. Cent cinquante et une femmes ont rempli un questionnaire auto-administré. Elles ont signalé des niveaux élevés de toutes les typologies de violence entre partenaires intimes ; les enfants étaient étroitement associés à la violence. Avant d’arriver au centre anti-violence, 33,1 % de l’échantillon a contacté au moins quatre sources d’assistance. Lorsque les enfants étaient impliqués dans la violence, les sources activées étaient plus nombreuses que si les enfants ne l’étaient pas. L’étude rappelle toute l’importance d’améliorer la capacité des professionnels à reconnaître la violence et à soutenir les victimes. Looking for help and support has a central role in the process of putting an end to partner violence and an important turning-point in the process of deciding to seek help is having children and becoming aware of the effects of the violence on them. This study aims to investigate which sources of help women contacted before arriving at an Anti-violence Centre(AVC), and to analyse the circumstances in which they contacted them. A cross-sectional study was conducted among women arriving at an Anti-violence Centre in Italy. One hundred and fifty-one women filled in a self-administered questionnaire. The women reported high levels of all typologies of IPV (Intimate Partner Violence); the children were closely involved in the violence. Before arriving to the AVC, 33.1% of the sample contacted four or more sources. When children were involved in violence, more sources were activated, than in cases in which children were not involved. This study points to the importance of improving practitioners’ ability to recognize violence and support the victims

Coping with sexual harassment: the experience of young working women in Italy

The aims of this qualitative study were to describe sexual harassment (SH) as experienced by young Italian women in the workplace and to analyse their reactions and forms of resistance. A sample of 20 university students who mostly held casual jobs was recruited at one university and interviewed in 2017\u201318; the transcriptions were analysed using a thematic method. Respondents experienced multiple forms of SH, from sexual comments and requests to physical contacts, carried out by male employers, co-workers and customers. Often SH had a pronounced pornographic nature, and occasionally women were treated as \u2018prostitutes\u2019; dress-code implied \u2018dressing sexily\u2019, and becomes a form of SH. All women evaluated these behaviours as inappropriate, but no one considered making a formal complaint. They reported confusion, attempts to minimise, going along with a smile, asking the help of colleagues, and using the boyfriend as a protector. Few took direct actions such as confronting the harassers, retaliating or complaining to the employer. Notwithstanding the hostility and humiliation experienced, the young women interviewed retained a strong sense of their dignity as workers, which can count as another form of resistance to a system that consistently tries to objectify them and disqualify them as workers

Disordered Eating Behaviors and Sexual Harassment in Italian Male and Female University Students

The aim of this study is to describe sexual harassment among Italian university students and analyze the relationship between harassment and disordered eating behaviors. An observational survey was conducted among university students at Trieste University (Italy) in spring 2014. Students answered an anonymous self-administered questionnaire about sexual harassment, including three domains\u2014sexual harassment, unwanted comments on physical appearance, cyber-harassment\u2014and disordered eating behaviors. The global sexual harassment index was computed with three levels: Level 0, no harassment; Level 1, harassment in at least one of the three domains; and Level 2, harassment in two or three domains. Disordered eating behaviors were classified by at least one of the following: (a) eating without being able to stop or vomiting at least once or twice a month, (b) using laxatives or diuretics at least once or twice a week, (c) monitoring weight every day, and (d) dieting at least very often. The sample included 759 students (347 men and 412 women; 18-29 years old). Experiencing sexual harassment was related to eating disorder symptoms for both genders with a regular gradient: the higher the harassment score, the more frequent the disordered eating behavior symptoms, even after adjusting for age and previous sexual violence. The association was stronger for males than females. Sexual harassment and disordered eating behaviors have long been considered mainly a female problem. Men are not exempt from these problems and in some cases may be more affected than women. The topics should be assessed in men and women

Prevalence of children witnessed violence in a pediatric emergency department

Witnessed violence is a form of child abuse with detrimental effects on child wellbeing and development, whose recognition relies on the assessment of their mother exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV). The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of witnessed violence in a population of children attending a pediatric emergency department (ED) in Italy, by searching for IPV in their mother, and to define the characteristics of the mother-child dyads. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2020 to January 2021. Participating mothers were provided a questionnaire, which included the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) and additional questions about their baseline data and health. Descriptive analysis was reported as frequency and percentage for the categorical variables and median and interquartile range (IQR) for quantitative variables. Mothers and children screened positive and negative for IPV and witnessed violence, respectively, were compared by the chi-square test or the exact Fisher test for categorical variables, and by the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test for continuous variables. Out of 212 participating mothers, ninety-three (43.9%) displayed a positive WAST. Mothers tested positive were mainly Italian (71%, p 0.003), had a lower level of education (median age at school dropout 19, p 0.0002), and a higher frequency of unemployment (p 0.001) and poor personal health status (8.6%, p 0.001). The children of mothers tested positive showed a higher occurrence of abnormal psychological-emotional state (38.7%, p 0.002) and sleep disturbances (26.9%, p 0.04)

Molestie sessuali: che fare? Una ricerca promossa dal CUG dell'Università di Trieste

Il libro "Molestie sessuali: che fare?" è il risultato di una ricerca promossa dal CUG dell'Università di Trieste. Il volume contribuisce alla comprensione del fenomeno delle molestie sessuali sia sotto l'aspetto dell'inquadramento normativo sia in quello della sua rilevazione sul campo

Intimate partner violence and forced migration during pregnancy: Structural constraints to women's agency

Little is known about migration during pregnancy related to intimate partner violence (IPV). In this paper, we examine issues of agency in relation to pregnant women\u2019s migrations in a high HIV prevalence area of Kenya. We qualitatively explored forced migration among pregnant women, using data from in-depth interviews, focus groups and IPV screening forms. To quantitatively examine migration during pregnancy, we analysed data from a prospective study of 614 pregnant women. The qualitative data revealed that women had varied responses to violence in pregnancy, with some being able to leave the marital home voluntarily as a strategy to escape violence. Others were \u2018sent packing\u2019 from their marital homes when they dared to exercise autonomy, in some cases related to HIV status. Quantitative analyses revealed that pregnant women who migrated were more educated, less likely to be living with a partner and had fewer children than other women. Migration among pregnant women in Kenya illustrates the complexity of understanding women\u2019s agency in the context of IPV. The findings indicate that there is not a dichotomy between \u2018victim\u2019 and \u2018agent\u2019, but rather a complex dynamic between and within pregnant women, who may sequentially or simultaneously experience aspects of victimhood and/or agentic response

Molestie sessuali: che fare? Una ricerca promossa dal CUG dell’Università di Trieste

Promosso dal Comitato Unico di Garanzia dell’Università di Trieste nell'ambito delle azioni di contrasto a ogni forma di discriminazione diretta e indiretta, il volume contribuisce alla comprensione del problema delle molestie sessuali sotto l'aspetto dell’inquadramento normativo, nel saggio di Sara Perini, e sotto quello della sua rilevazione sul campo, nel saggio di Federica Anastasia. Nella prefazione sono individuati i possibili effetti economici delle molestie. Nel caso dell’Università è necessario considerare i costi imposti su diversi piani: quando minano il benessere e l’efficienza organizzativa dell’amministrazione, quando contrastano una competizione aperta sul piano delle carriere nella ricerca, quando vengono agite nei confronti delle studentesse e degli studenti nella formazione