According to a study from the beginning of 2024 by Save The Children and Ipsos, which involved 800 minors between 14 and 18 years old, 28 percent of boys and girls say they have exchanged intimate videos or photos at least once with their partner or with people in whom they had an interest, although more than half think that those who send intimate photos always accept the risks they run, including the risk that the photos may be shared with others.
Furthermore, one in ten teenagers admitted to having shared at least once intimate photos or videos of the person they were having a relationship with without their explicit consent. Furthermore, the survey demonstrates the existence of a considerable percentage of young people who tend to normalize gender stereotypes and abusive behaviouri.
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“Teenagers are aware but not prepared, in the sense that they know what gender violence is, but at first they wouldn’t know how to recognize it, how to manage situations and what tools to use. More they don’t stop to think: from 12-14 years old, with the web they enter a fantastic world where their human relationships (even if digital, ndr) multiply, everything goes very fast and where the feeling is that there is no time to stop and think before carrying out an action. This makes both bullying and sharing any type of photo or content easy and immediate,” he comments Marco Luciani, officer of the Local Police of Milan specialized in cyber crimes and peer violence. And he adds: “Let’s think about what happened a few years ago in Manduria: almost 20 kids had targeted a defenseless pensioner with mental problems. They had been bullying him on social media for a year and no one had noticed anything. Everything was leaked only when the victim was killed. Everyone talks about calm students, who came from normal families.” But, in fact, no one had noticed anything. “Here because dialogue in the family is fundamental. Here because parents need to keep upfollow their children on social networks instead of exercising hyper-control in real life”, adds the commissioner.
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Dialogue and study
“One day a mother asked me: I found my minor daughter filming herself masturbating and sending the video to a friend of her age in Palermo, who was doing the same thing, what do I do? – Luciani continues -. Facts like this are all the agenda. Their sexuality also passes through the web. The point is that these videos are often used to blackmail once the two have an argument or break up should not be commodified, induce them to think before sharing, whether it’s an insult to someone or whether it’s an intimate photo or video of yourself.”
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Another imperative is to stay updated: “Use the same social networks that our children use and follow them, telling them. If a child doesn’t post anything, ask yourself questions: we know that there are ways to not let other users see the posts.”
What if something happens? “In the event of incidents of cyberbullying, it is important to report it, even if only to the school director: contrary to what people think in Italy schools and managers are very attentive and prepared on these topics and can support and advise families – says the commissioner – furthermore it is important not to make a drama out of it and remember that many episodes, as they happened, pass quickly. Continuing to talk about it sometimes only gives it more resonance. Obviously, if we’re talking about crimes, reporting is a must.”
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Sad is beautiful
Another trend that the expert points out is that of spreading “fake news” about oneself to appear – paradoxically – problematic. “I am constantly exposed to teenagers’ devices and I rarely find anything cheerful, positive – concludes the expert -; one day a mother told me that her teenage son wrote in chats that his parents were alcoholics, but it wasn’t true. Kids grow up playing violent video games from an early age (Call of Duty, for example, would be forbidden to minors, ndr) watching series like Sea Outside, where in 18 episodes you never see a boy smile, it’s all a drama. We live in a world where For young people, being unlucky is almost cool, a superficial world where the dream is to become an influencer without having to commit. A world where musicians are trappers who don’t have to study music to become famous. Families also play a fundamental role in all of this: let’s talk to them and make them think.”
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