Italian school sexual education referendum

The Italian Supreme Court (Cassazione) has approved a request to hold an abrogation referendum regarding Law 104 of 2026. This law requires prior informed consent from families for affective and sexual education activities conducted in schools.

The initiative was supported by 576,000 signatures and seeks to repeal the specific requirements introduced by the law. The next stage requires the Constitutional Court to rule on the admissibility of the referendum question. Proponents, including the “Sì Educazione Affettiva nelle scuole” committee, argue that such education is essential for preventing gender violence and teaching respect and consent. The committee has suggested holding the referendum alongside the 2027 local elections to optimize public spending.

In the ongoing debate, Danila De Stefano, CEO of the psychological support service Unobravo, has argued that emotional and relational literacy is a fundamental pillar of public health. De Stefano stated that education regarding affection and consent must be built upon emotional education to help young people understand themselves and others, noting that issues like gender violence and bullying often stem from emotional illiteracy.