Telefono Azzuro - Italy

On the side of the children
Asian boy who is at high risk of being bullied, trafficked and abused, peers sadly through a door. © Eakachai Leesin | Dreamstime Images

Introduction

Telefono Azzurro was founded by Professor Ernesto Caffo, President of Fondazione Child, in 1987. From the very beginning the organization has advocated for the rights of children and young people and implemented interventions aimed at protecting those most at risk.

Helplines / hotlines

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of employees and volunteers, Telefono Azzurro is now running two helplines (both phone and chat), one hotline, various school workshops, and on the field operations.

  1. The free helpline 1.96.96 focuses on supporting children and young people by providing them with a non-judgmental and confidential platform to talk about their problems, challenges, and insecurities. 

  2. The number 114 is a free line that responds to emergencies relating to children and young people to ensure they receive the necessary intervention and support. 

  3. The 116.000 hotline functions in collaboration with the Police to report the disappearance of a minor, or to provide information or sightings. It is also the hotline for missing unaccompanied minors that are or have been at risk of trafficking and/or sexual exploitation.  Brochure: 116.000 Hotline

All three services have at its core the aim of safeguarding children to ensure their wellbeing and safety.

Child trafficking & exploitation 

As part of the fight against child trafficking and exploitation, Telefono Azzurro is currently running across five different cities in Italy the ‘Just’ project that aims to create a functioning and efficient network of professionals that work with unaccompanied minors. The project focuses on identifying the risks these minors face, the resources available to support them, and the challenges encountered with the aim of overcoming them together.

Bullying / Cyberbullying

Additionally, in the past year, Telefono Azzurro has been working with the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) to address the risks of bullying and cyberbullying through awareness raising and educational workshops in schools. In February of 2018, Telefono Azzurro held a conference for Safer Internet Day that explored the relationship between young people and the online world.

Furthermore, Telefono Azzurro has recently published an eBook about the risks young people face online and ways to better protect them. There is an entire chapter dedicated to the effects of bullying and cyberbullying as well as examples of cases managed by Telefono Azzurro through our helplines. 

These are only some of the interventions that Telefono Azzurro is implementing in our society today and which we will build on to continue advocating for the protection of children and young people to ensure a safer and better future for them.

Contributor:  Professor Ernesto Caffo serves as Expert Consultant to the ECPC. He is s Chair Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. He is full-time Director of the Department of Pediatrics for the Azienda Ospedaliera-University of Modena, and Director of the 6th edition of the Master “Estimation and Intervention in situations of abuses of childhood and Pedophilia” at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Ernesto Caffo is founder and President of the S.O.S. Il Telefono Azzurro Onlus, and President of the Foundation Child. 

Relevant information

What each parent has to know about the Internet: Perspectives, challenges and responsibilities

The digital world has introduced, with a speediness we’ve never been accustomed to before, an anthropological, psychological, and social change for which we were all unprepared. It has broken boundaries and has generated enormous challenges against which we do not have the necessary tools  to deal with. Challenges, which involve our relationships with others but, particularly, the intergenerational relationships that structure our educational system parental, academic, and professional. The eras of change are those that raise the most questions. Children and adolescents live through these changes asking adults questions that require urgent and immediate answers.  This eBook goes through the risks of the Web (i.e. cyberbullying, sexting, sextortion, grooming) and is considered as a starting point that opens to confrontation and dialogue. Each chapter contains a brief description of the issue, a story from our helpline, a contribution by an international expert and advice for parents and caregivers.

Bullying & your child. What every parent needs to know and do

This guide draws on the work of the European Network Against Bullying in Learning and Leisure Environments (ENABLE) – and aims to help you:

  1. Better understand what bullying is and how to spot the warning signs

  2. Discuss bullying – and cyber-bullying – with your children

  3. Take steps to help any child who is being bullied

  4. Ensure your child stays safe online and develops the necessary social and emotional skills 

  5. Work with your school to create a safer environment for young people

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