In one year, minors dependent on social services in Emilia-Romagna increased by 11.6%, while there was a 4.7% drop in minors placed “outside the family”.
According to a constant trend, hospital admissions (818 in 2022) in child neuropsychiatry departments are growing, “a critical indicator on the health status of the minor population, to be cross-referenced with other indicators and investigated further”.
The report on the activity carried out in 2023 starts from these worrying data regional guarantor for children and adolescents Claudia Giudici explained during the joint session of the culture and equality commissions in Viale Aldo Moro. Another critical aspect on which the guarantor focused is that of social withdrawal in adolescence.
“According to the first trends emerging from the survey started in June 2023 – explained Giudici – there are 762 reports collected by the services, with a greater peak in the 15-16 year age group (38.3%) but with a significant start starting from 12 years”. In 44% of cases, the minor no longer attends school (243 are of compulsory school age), while 55% have maintained relationships with the school. “A pervasive digital use differentiated between males (video games) and females (social media) has emerged. The prevalent disorder, in 33.5% of cases, is anxiety, followed by depression in 16%”. In terms of reports to the guarantor, 61 were processed, of which 40 were received in 2023 and 21 in 2022. “In the most serious cases – Giudici recalled – the report can be transmitted to the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Juvenile Court and, in relation to serious conduct by adults, also to the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court competent for the territory”.
The most represented area was Bologna, with 67.5% of reports. Followed by the provinces of Piacenza and Parma (7.5%), that of Reggio-Emilia (5%) and Modena and Forlì-Cesena (2.5%), for a total of 29 minors involved.
The last area of activity carried out in 2023 to which the guarantor drew the attention of the Legislative Assembly is that of the reception of unaccompanied foreign minors. “As of 31 December 2023 – highlights Giudici – there were 1,922, 8.2% of the national total, unaccompanied foreign minors registered in Emilia-Romagna. Our region is confirmed, after Lombardy and Sicily, among the first in terms of reception. Of the minors welcomed, 81.2% are male and 18.8% are female. The Ukrainian nationality, with 34.6%, continues to be the most represented. Over 50% of minors are placed in the provincial areas of Bologna (28%), Modena (14.4%) and Ravenna (10.8%), followed in percentage terms by Reggio Emilia (9.3%), Parma (8.6%), Forlì-Cesena ( 8.5%), Rimini (7.5%), Piacenza (6.7%) and Ferrara (6.2%)”.
Also in 2023, concluded the Guarantor, “the regional course for voluntary guardians for unaccompanied foreign minors was held, in which 37 people participated”.
