Italy's child protection agencies warn of growing youth fragility post‑pandemic

Don Tarcisio Bove, regional coordinator of the Servizio per la tutela dei minori of the Lombardy Episcopal Conference, said the COVID‑19 pandemic heightened fragility among adolescents and strained educators. He described a multidisciplinary team – including a canonist, a penal lawyer, psychologists, a psychiatrist and a communication expert – that resumed training on listening and prevention despite pandemic disruptions. The service aims to make prevention a broader shared responsibility across schools, sports clubs and youth associations.

Psychologist Paolo Mengani of the Ancona family counseling centre reported a noticeable rise in youth‑related violence and juvenile court cases. He linked the increase to “a structure little solid” within young people, amplified by instability in families, institutions and society, as well as the cumulative effects of COVID‑19, wars and economic crisis. Mengani urged adults to provide consistent, supportive frameworks rather than punitive measures, emphasizing the need for solid adult guidance to help fragile adolescents navigate today’s challenges.