Youth Discomfort, The Real Cure Is Prevention (And It Also Saves Money)
In 2024, 23% of the population was at risk of poverty and social exclusion, a figure that rises to 34.8% in families with 3 minors. One in 4 poor people is under 18, 14% is in absolute poverty, 16.2% lives in unsuitable housing and 45% in overcrowded conditions. Single-parent families, number of children, foreign citizenship, economic crisis, poverty, Covid: the very young experience hardship and express their discomfort with anger, anxiety, frustration, isolation.
Lombardy is home to 21% of minors in residential services and has the highest number of students with non-Italian citizenship, with school dropouts starting at age 4. The data were presented at the seminar From the present to the future. Educating to grow , organized by Società Dolce in Busto Arsizio (Va), where local authorities took action to combat youth hardship: "We have launched nine projects with 70 municipalities, 21 third sector entities, 10 comprehensive institutes and five secondary schools," explains Enrico Antonio Tallarita, director of social and health services at Ats Insubria, "and in one year, 1,460 young people were intercepted. Sport has proven to be important for prevention and recovery." Massimo Fogliani , director of social services in Busto Arsizio, adds: «In three years, the Municipality has increased spending on youth hardship by 20.57%, from 2,513,000 euros to 3,030,000 euros. In 2024, spending on residential and day facilities for minors represented 26.04% of the total for social services, with 551 minors in care».
"Since 2010," says Caterina Segata ( pictured above) , head of the cooperative's educational area, "the economic crisis has had a strong impact on funding for services, but prevention is the most effective solution and investment. We need social, health and educational integration and support, because many are unable to access the opportunities in the area." Yet enrollments at the "L'Abbraccio" Day Education Center - Ced in Busto Arsizio, which takes in minors after school, have suffered a significant decline: "Unfortunately, there is a need, but out of 35 places," says Serena Penna , responsible coordinator, "we only have 21 kids, mostly middle and high school students, so with behavioral and thought styles that are already internalized and a relationship with the educator compromised by the distrust of adults typical of their age. We need to intervene earlier, between the ages of 6 and 11." It is also a question of funds, as Antonio Maturo, sociologist, explains: "In schools, intellectual and learning disabilities are increasing, with a heated debate on how much attention deficit disorder is "cerebral" or "social" and in the face of a decline in births. For decades, social policies in our country have invested more in pensions and less in services for poor families with minors, who are more than double the number of elderly people. Far from wanting to hope for a generational conflict, today it is almost better to have great-grandparents at home, than children."
In the opening photo: The activities of the “L'abbraccio” day educational center in Busto Arsizio (Va)
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