Telefono Azzurro turns 39: over 135,000 cases followed

"For almost forty years, we have been listening to children and adolescents and, through their voices, observing changes in society. The problems have not disappeared: they have transformed. Today, traditional forms of distress are accompanied by new forms of fragility linked to mental health, the quality of relationships and the impact of the digital dimension. This experience teaches us that prevention comes first and foremost from listening and the ability to catch the signs of distress at an early stage. Understanding children's needs means understanding the future of our society," says the President of Telefono Azzurro, Ernesto Caffo.

"For almost forty years we have been listening to children and adolescents and, through their voices, observing changes in society". This was stated by the president of Telefono Azzurro Ernesto Caffo on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of its foundation. The anniversary is a moment of celebration and an opportunity to reflect on how the problems of minors in Italia have changed. Since 1987, Telefono Azzurro has followed over 135,000 cases, observing a profound change with respect to the contexts of growth, social relations, the role of the family and school and, more recently, the impact of digital technologies in the daily lives of youngsters. Over the years, the Foundation's main listening and intervention services have contributed to building this wealth of experience: the 19696 line, the first free service dedicated to minors activated in Italia, has handled 93669 cases since it was set up, while the 114 emergency service, operating 24 hours a day for situations of immediate danger, has taken care of 39974 cases from 2003 to date.

These numbers do not only represent the Foundation's activities, but build a picture of the evolution of juvenile distress in our country. "Today, alongside the traditional forms of malaise," Caffo continued, "there are new fragilities linked to mental health, the quality of relationships and the impact of the social dimension. A significant part of the fragility and risks is manifested online and the data of the 'Click and Report' hotline, the service dedicated to combating online child abuse, clearly show this transformation.

In the last year alone, 3,022 reports were handled, of which 76.5% concerned child sexual abuse. Today, this direct experience allows Telefono Azzurro to play an increasingly relevant role, not only in intervention, but also in interpreting the phenomena involving childhood and adolescence. This role was also recently recognised by Agcom, which recognised the foundation as the first Trusted Flagger in Italy for the 0-18 age group within the European Digital Services Act, entrusting it with the task of reporting illegal content to the major digital platforms through priority procedures.

The phenomenon of missing children also continues to represent a significant challenge: since 2009, the European number 116,000 Missing Children, managed by Telefono Azzurro in Italia, has followed up 1,945 cases. "This experience," Caffo concludes, "teaches us that prevention comes first of all from listening and from the ability to promptly grasp the signs of distress. Understanding the needs of children means understanding the future of our society'