Maltrattamenti invisibili. Genitori vittime di figli violenti

L’articolo presenta un problema sociale non ancora adeguatamente affrontato dalla letteratura italiana: l’abuso verso i genitori da parte dei figli adolescenti. Questa forma di maltrattamento, che presenta aspetti di somiglianza con la violenza domestica, può avere manifestazioni di tipo diverso e palesarsi sotto forma di abuso fisico, psicologico, verbale ed economico. L’abuso parentale pertanto può essere definito come qualsiasi comportamento messo in atto da un giovane adolescente che intende cagionare danni fisici, psicologici o finanziari al fine di esercitare controllo e potere su un genitore. La riflessione quindi intende soffermarsi su tale specifica forma di maltrattamento intrafamiliare per definirne le caratteristiche e valutare le possibilità di prevenzione, tutela ed intervento a favore delle vittime. This article analyses a social problem which Italian literature has not adequately addressed yet. This is the abuse of parents by their teenage children. This form of maltreatment, which in some ways is similar to domestic violence, has different manifestations: physical, psychological, verbal or economic abuse. Therefore, the maltreatment of parents can be defined as any act committed by a teenager with the aim of causing physical, psychological or financial harm in order to submit one of their parents to their control and power. It is thus necessary to reflect on this specific type of maltreatment inside the family in order to define its characteristics and evaluate the provision of prevention, support, and intervention measures for the victims

Quando noi urlavamo, loro si chiudevano in camera: alcune riflessioni sulla violenza assistita

La violenza assistita è oggi un fenomeno globale e molto diffuso strettamente correlato alla violenza domestica. Nonostante ciò il riconoscimento di questa forma di abuso è ancora problematico sia all’interno delle famiglie, sia da parte dei servizi preposti alla protezione e alla cura dei minori, che non sempre riescono a interpretare tempestivamente i segnali di disagio e le richieste di aiuto da parte dei bambini. L’esposizione a situazioni di violenza intrafamiliare provoca nei bambini e negli adolescenti effetti a breve e lungo termine in grado di intaccare il benessere psicofisico e la salute. In questo contributo ci si concentra su alcuni aspetti relativi alla definizione del fenomeno e alle sue conseguenze, focalizzandosi in particolar modo sulla relazione madre-bambino, sulle implicazioni relative alla trasmissione intergenerazionale della violenza e sulle possibilità di intervento. L’exposition des enfants à la violence est aujourd’hui un phénomène global et répandu, étant directement lié à la violence conjugale. Toutefois, la connaissance de cette forme d’abus demeure problématique de la part des familles ainsi que des services de l’aide sociale à l’enfance. En effet, ces services ne sont pas toujours en mesure d’interpréter rapidement les signes de détresse et les appels à l’aide des enfants. L’exposition à la violence intrafamiliale provoque des effets négatifs à court et à long terme sur les enfants et les adolescents, effets qui peuvent compromettre leur bien-être mental et physique. Cet article met l’accent sur certains aspects relatifs à la définition de ce phénomène, à ses séquelles, à la relation mère-enfant, aux conséquences inter-générations de la violence et aux modalités d’intervention. Today children’s exposure to violence is a global and widespread phenomenon directly linked to domestic violence. Nevertheless the acknowledgment of this form of abuse is still problematic both within families and childcare services. Indeed, these services are not always able to very rapidly interpret signs of distress and calls for help from children. The exposure to intra-familiar violence causes short-term and long-term negative effects in children and teens, effects which can damage their mental and physical well-being. This article focuses on some aspects related to the definition of the phenomenon, its consequences, the mother-child relationship, implications of the inter-generational transmission of violence, and the implementation of intervention modalities for families, couples and children

Functional brain networks constructed in subjects’ native spaces

Due to the structure of the human brain and its functioning, it can be modelized as a network, i.e. a collection of nodes connected by links. One of the approaches consists in constructing functional brain networks, where nodes are identified by regions of interest (ROIs) composed of neurons with similar functional activation. The main issue of this kind of approaches is how to define nodes and links. In a typical functional brain network construction pipeline, one critical step is the registration of brain areas into templates which makes possible statistical analysis and comparison across different subjects and studies. Different registration methods can lead to different results. Here, we compare standard space registration method with a new method, called inverse-registration, starting from raw data provided by functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). In standard registration, data is projected into a standard common space, which is the same across different subjects and studies. In inverse registration approach, a template from Standard space is (inverse) registered to structural space and the obtained images are finally registered to the functional subject space. We found out that inverse registration leads to nodes with increased functional homogeneity, while basic network properties are not significantly affected. These results suggest that inverse registration is a better registration method, although it is very recent and further investigation is needed before generalizing this statement

Menopause – A Time for Reflection

A woman’s post-reproductive years can bring the greatest challenges of her life as physical and psychological changes compel examination of her new role in life. The author’s own experience of this leads her to reflect on cultural perspectives and healing practices that may impact the individual experience of menopause. In the USA, physical symptoms often have been managed by hormone replacement therapy (HRT) while the psychological changes, including the subtleties of what it means to be a (re)productive part of society have just begun to be addressed. In a holistic model, factors having a positive influence on a woman’s experience of menopause include low body mass index (BMI), and using alternatives to HRT such as Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM) and meditation. Additionally, revising one’s view of what it means to be “older” will influence her experience. In order to create a plan to bring balance to a woman whose physiology is no longer supported by sex hormones, societal, nutritional, and cultural influences must be considered

Sound Focusing Effects in Horseshoe Plan Theatre

This paper is aimed to study the sound focusing effects in the theatre with horseshoe-shaped plan. It was considered as a case study in the theatre “Vincenzo Bellini” in Catania (Italy), a horseshoe-shaped opera house where both opera and symphonic concerts can take place. This configuration, at the time, was considered to be the best solution for both a good sound quality as well as a good view of the stage for the spectators sitting in the boxes. The geometry of the theatre determines some gaps due to a concentration of the early sound reflections on the back of the room, involving the last rows of seats, thus causing a non-uniform spread of sound in the theatre. This concentration of reflections does not create optimal conditions for good acoustics due to excessive reverberation and negative influence on the listening to music performances

Le mafie italiane nel cyberspazio: nuova frontiera o terreno di sperimentazione?

Lo studio e l’interesse per il fenomeno mafioso sono all’origine di questo contributo, che nasce dalla curiosità di approfondire la diffusione a livello mediatico e istituzionale di informazioni non sempre corroborate da prove incontrovertibili sulla presenza online delle mafie italiane. L’interesse è pertanto motivato dalla volontà di comprendere se la capacità di adattamento al mutamento sociale delle mafie endogene si riverberi e con quali effetti nel cyberspazio. Questa breve riflessione sul tema, che si avvale del contributo della letteratura e dell’apporto di alcune recenti indagini, non vuole né può certamente essere esaustiva anche per la natura stessa dei fenomeni presi in esame, ma intende rappresentare un’istantanea in vista di ulteriori approfondimenti

Intellectuals as spokespersons for the nation in the post-Yugoslav context:a critical discourse study

In contemporary post-Yugoslav societies, the ongoing processes of nation-building interact and intersect with the manifold challenges of post-socialist transition, post-conflict reconciliation, democratisation and European integration. Amid growing uncertainty and insecurity, public intellectuals may play a key role in ‘making sense’ of these complexities, in particular by shaping shared representations of the nation and by defining national identities in public discourse. Engaging in symbolic practices of nation-building, however, also enables intellectuals to legitimise their own authority and social status, as reflected in the concept of national intellectual practice elaborated by Suny and Kennedy (1999). This thesis explores the multifaceted power dynamics underlying post-Yugoslav intellectuals’ engagement in nation-building from the perspective of the Discourse-Historical Approach to critical discourse studies (Reisigl & Wodak, 2009; Wodak, 2011). Using an innovative methodological framework based on the original notion of intellectual spokespersonship for the nation (drawing on Pels, 2000), I examine a sample of published opinion pieces addressing three key recent events, i.e. Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008, Croatia’s accession into the EU in 2013, and the anti-government protests in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2014. Detailed analysis of the patterns of intellectual spokespersonship for the nation that are distinctive to each case leads to the following conclusions. The Kosovo issue seems to have led Serbian intellectuals to refurbish their attitude as ‘saviours of the nation’, similarly to what had happened during the crisis of Yugoslavia. Croatian intellectuals, on the other hand, appear to be engaged in an effort to (re)define the role and place of the Croatian nation within the volatile context of European integration. Lastly, the ambivalent stance of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s intellectuals concerning the potential of the protest movement to undermine the status quo suggests that their involvement is chiefly aimed at strengthening their influence over the country’s public opinion

Le mafie italiane nel cyberspazio: nuova frontiera o terreno di sperimentazione?

Lo studio e l’interesse per il fenomeno mafioso sono all’origine di questo contributo, che nasce dalla curiosità di approfondire la diffusione a livello mediatico e istituzionale di informazioni non sempre corroborate da prove incontrovertibili sulla presenza online delle mafie italiane. L’interesse è pertanto motivato dalla volontà di comprendere se la capacità di adattamento al mutamento sociale delle mafie endogene si riverberi e con quali effetti nel cyberspazio. Questa breve riflessione sul tema, che si avvale del contributo della letteratura e dell’apporto di alcune recenti indagini, non vuole né può certamente essere esaustiva anche per la natura stessa dei fenomeni presi in esame, ma intende rappresentare un’istantanea in vista di ulteriori approfondimenti.The study and interest in the mafia phenomenon are at the origin of this contribution, which stems from the curiosity to investigate the media and institutional dissemination of information, that are not always corroborated by incontrovertible evidence, about the online presence of Italian mafias. The interest is therefore motivated by the desire to understand whether the capacity of endogenous mafias to adapt to social change reverberates in cyberspace and, if so, with what effects. Drawing from the most recent literature and researches, this brief reflection on the topic is certainly not intended or cannot be exhaustive, also due to the very nature of the phenomena examined, but rather aims to suggest some directions for further investigation

Recensione

Lacatena A. P., Resto umano. Storia vera di un uomo che non si è mai sentito donna, Chinaski edizioni, Genova, 2014