The importance of education
What is the relationship between adolescents and gender violence in our country??
To answer this question, Save The Children recently published the report “Are Girls Okay? Survey of onlife gender violence in adolescence”, carried out in collaboration with IPSOS.
The term onlife, coined by the philosopher Luciano Floridi and his research group, describes the relational, social and communicative dimension seen as the result of a continuous interaction between material and analogue reality and virtual and interactive reality. It describes the indissoluble intertwining between an online and offline world, which regulates our relationships, the way we work and interact in the world.
The study sheds light on violent and controlling behaviors in intimate relationships between young people, showing how gender stereotypes are still rooted and involve both the offline and online dimensions: for very young people, in fact, the border between physical and digital reality now appears completely blurred.
Normalization of violence
According to the survey, 30% of adolescents believe that jealousy is a sign of love. Almost one in five teenagers thinks that a slap can be considered “normal”.
19% of those who have had or are in an intimate relationship report having been frightened by their partner due to violent behavior such as slaps, punches, pushing, throwing objects.
Sexual violence and victim blaming
A particularly disturbing aspect concerns the perception of sexual violence.
43% of adolescents believe that a girl can somehow avoid sexual violence with her behavior, while 24% think that in the absence of an explicit “no” from the girl there is consent to sexual intercourse.
These attitudes reflect persistent social problems regarding the issue of victim blaming and widespread ignorance regarding consent in relationships.
Violent behavior and forms of control
The investigation also revealed the spread of violent and controlling behavior in relationships among young people. 65% say they have experienced at least one form of control from their partner, while 52% reported having suffered violent behavior: from persistent phone calls to emotional blackmail, to the non-consensual sharing of intimate photos.
Awareness and proposals for the future
Despite the data that has emerged, there is a growing awareness on the topic: 58% of the adolescents involved declared that they have become more sensitive towards gender issues and 43% believe that a psychological help desk at school would be useful to raise awareness of the phenomena of violence.
The children also suggested various proposals to address the problem: among these the training of teachers to recognize the signs of violence (40%) and the introduction of sexual and emotional education in middle schools (32%).
A collective commitment is needed to combat gender violence starting from adolescence.
The commitment of the Museum of Saving against gender violence and in support of female independence
Since its creation, the Museum of Saving has aimed to promote and spread the financial literacy essential to achieve economic independence, with particular attention to the most fragile segments of the population in terms of basic economic skills. Many women, unfortunately, still fall into this category.
Too many still do not work, have no personal income or a bank account, or delegate the management of their money to their partners.
This encourages situations of violence, because a woman without economic independence becomes a victim of abuse more easily, both physical and psychological.
The data confirm the importance of education to prevent gender violence, in all its forms, starting from adolescence.
A girl who knows the importance of her own independence, including economic independence, is more likely to become a woman capable of taking care of herself independently, protecting herself from controlling and potentially dangerous partners.
The Museum of Saving organizes activities and initiatives for all age groups; many are dedicated to the theme of female independence. To find out more, visit the site and read the blog.