The survey

Childhood, Cesvi: loneliness and relational deprivation fuel abuse

Cesvi Foundation Director-General Piziali: “Child abuse is a serious social and public health issue that cannot be viewed solely as an individual or family matter”

by Pietro Menzani

10 June 2026

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Loneliness and mental health issues

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

In contexts where relational poverty is most pronounced, children are more vulnerable to abuse, isolation and distress. The lack of adults, communities and safe spaces can have negative consequences for the well-being of minors. This is revealed by the Regional Index on Child Abuse and Care in Italia published by the Cesvi Humanitarian Foundation.

The study, which analyses risk factors and the regions’ ability to prevent and tackle child abuse, reveals a clear divide between northern and southern Italia: the most encouraging figures were recorded in the north of the country, whilst more acute problems persist in the south. The study is based on 65 regional statistical indicators and takes six parameters into account: caring for oneself and others, living a healthy life, living a safe life, acquiring knowledge and learning, working, and accessing resources and services.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, the Minister for the Family and Equal Opportunities, Eugenia Maria Roccella, stated that ‘child abuse represents one of the most serious violations of the rights of children and adolescents and reminds us how essential it is to maintain our communities’ capacity for listening, prevention and intervention. The index highlights how the phenomenon cannot be understood solely through the lens of the individual or the family: the economic, social, educational and relational conditions of local areas have a profound impact on the well-being of minors and on the ability to prevent situations of vulnerability’.

Relational poverty

The seventh edition of the Index – entitled Generazione Sola – focuses in particular on relational poverty. Whilst economic instability and unemployment exacerbate the vulnerability of the most fragile families, with serious repercussions on the mental health of adults and the safety of minors, the social environment in which children grow up also plays a fundamental role.

As the report points out, the absence of role models, meaningful relationships and safe spaces deprives minors of a support network, ‘trapping them in a vice of dual vulnerability’. In this context, therefore, according to the analysis, poverty is not only a lack of material resources but also a lack of meaningful human relationships.

Stefano Piziali, Director General of the Cesvi Foundation, observed that ‘child abuse is a serious social and public health problem that cannot be viewed solely as an individual or family matter. The findings of this report remind us that abuse is not a phenomenon confined to the home, but a collective challenge rooted in the structural, relational and social conditions in which children and families live”, adding that ‘the rise in cases is a sign of widespread fragility intertwined with economic precariousness, growing psychological distress and the weakening of social support networks. The data show some encouraging signs, such as the resumption of parenting support services and local social services following the pandemic, but they also highlight persistent regional inequalities and structural issues that we cannot ignore.”

Loneliness and mental health

Loneliness, a lack of support and safe spaces, and fragile family ties have a negative impact on the emotional security of minors. The family remains the primary source of emotional protection and, together with peers and other significant adults, plays a crucial role in fostering the well-being of children.

Economic and relational poverty, however, are certainly not two unrelated factors. The report reveals that the two dynamics reinforce each other: a lack of material resources can rob parents of time and energy, fuelling domestic conflicts and denying children access to essential social contexts such as, for example, participation in sports clubs.

“Of particular concern,” continued the Director-General of the Cesvi Foundation, “is the rise in mental health issues among minors, the decline in the total number of paediatricians available for private practice, and the difficulty in ensuring that all families have timely and consistent access to preventive and support services.”

Regional performance

The report reveals an Italia operating at two speeds. In the northern regions, social networks are stronger and services are better organised, with improvements being noted, whilst in the south, conditions remain more critical, in areas characterised by greater economic fragility, fewer available services and a weaker social fabric.

However, these disparities do not appear to be adequately addressed through support services. Suffice it to say that parenting support services reach 741 users per 100,000 inhabitants in the north, 322.1 in the centre and only 271 in the south.

The Index reveals that Emilia-Romagna is the region with the greatest overall capacity to tackle the issue of child abuse. It is followed by Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli. The most serious problems, however, were found in Campania, Puglia, Calabria and Sicily.

Piziali went on to stress that ‘we need to strengthen what we refer to as genuine “social sentinels” – paediatricians, teachers and social workers – who are able to detect early warning signs of distress and put support measures in place before vulnerability turns into abuse’, concluding that ‘it is equally important to invest in training for professionals, in monitoring the impact of interventions, and in building integrated databases that enable us to assess more effectively the contribution of the public and private social sectors to the protection of children’s rights. Prevention also depends on the ability to measure what works and to direct resources towards the most effective approaches’.