The first school for anti-violence center operators starts

AND a little-known and even less defined professional figure. There are those who believe they are volunteers, others psychologists, and there is total confusion regarding the necessary skills. Nevertheless, the operators of the anti-violence centres, those who answer the first phone calls from frightened women who are often unaware of their rights, have a crucial role. The beginning of a path of self-determination and awareness of the victims depends on their ability to listen and give precise answers, preparation and empathy.

In Italy, there are 404 anti-violence centers (Tortuga think-tank data, 2024), some have a history of decades, others are more recent. Everyone takes care of training their operators, and the result is one total lack of homogeneity in contents and results. To overcome this fragmentation, the permanent national school for anti-violence center operators was created, promoted by the One Hundred Thousand Foundationwhich deals with the prevention and fight against gender violence through support for the Centers (about fifty, especially in the South) and theorganization of affective education courses in schools (in January, in collaboration with the University of Milan Bicocca, an advanced training course for teachers will start).

The first edition of the School, which started in October, is divided into eight modules, each lasting a couple of days: ranging from “The cultural and structural matrix of male violence against women” to “Legislative aspects in the civil and criminal fields” to “Work in anti-violence centers and shelters”. But what are the objectives of the course and how is it going? We talk about it with the vice president of One None One Hundred ThousandLella Palladino.

A school for anti-violence center operators

Why was the School born?
To respond to the need to standardize and improve skills. The more trained the operators are, the better they can help other women. We had 496 registration requests, and we managed to accommodate all those from those who already work in the sector, for them it is free. At the moment, we have 320 remote participants, and 70 in person at the headquarters of the International Women’s House of Rome, in via della Lungara 19. We chose the mixed mode from the beginning, to allow those who live far away to follow the lessons. However, only those who are present can participate in the workshops, in which we also work on the emotional and relational part, which is very important in this profession. The teachers come from universities, research centers and civil society organizations. We have a Scientific Committee that monitors the quality of the lessons.

Who are the operators?
You don’t need a specific degree, there are psychologists, sociologists, educators, pedagogists… Compulsory training is required for all of them, which must follow some standard criteria and which up to now has taken place within individual Centers or networks. Our school, however, is open to all. They are working women and therefore paid. They are often supported by volunteers, who however have another role.

Who can access the school

What are the necessary requirements for anti-violence centres?
They must be managed by organizations whose main objective – also highlighted in the budget – is the prevention and fight against male violence against women. So not entities that deal with other fragilities and add this one too. Furthermore, they must have at least five years of experience, provide a 120-hour training course and never propose family mediation. Those who are violent cannot be mediated, as provided for by the 2011 Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women.

What is important in staff training
It is essential that the operator is clear about the genesis of the violence. He must know that it is never a single, episodic fact, but is grafted onto a patriarchal culture, born in the disparity of power and gender discrimination. We must keep in mind the collective dimension, what happens to women as such. If you don’t understand this, you make mistakes. The operator must have this cultural background so that the first phone call from a woman looking for help makes her understand that she is not alone, that it is not her fault if she chose the wrong man. Otherwise you end up thinking that he went looking for it. The risk is that of so-called secondary victimization, which means blaming the victim himself, not giving him credit, minimizing the facts. Listening, on the other hand, must be empathetic, never judgmental.

What should an operator do on the first phone call?
Must have a wealth of multidisciplinary skills such as to be able to give precise indications. There is a lot of misinformation, many women do not know that the crime of abandoning the marital home no longer exists, or they fear losing custody of their children, or they believe that if they do not report they cannot be helped. For this reason, well-structured relational skills are needed right from the first contact. The operator’s motivation is also important. His is a job, of course, not a vocation, but above all he must feel like an agent of change. We are committed not to a single woman in difficulty but to transform the culture from which violence originates and is fueled. This is why our training course is political.

The next step?
If the connection works, usually after the first phone call the women go in person to an anti-violence center and start a process. An assessment of the case is made, if there is danger they are hosted in shelters, where they can feel safe together with their children. We propose, but they decide what to do. During the meetings, the operators are supported by psychologists or, if necessary, by lawyers, for a possible request for separation or for a complaint. We explain well what the consequences of their choices may be.

How do they know who to contact?
In most cases thanks to the toll-free emergency number 1522, which indicates the nearest facility. The information is important: the number is – or should be – displayed in pharmacies, police stations, clinics and emergency rooms. We have a memorandum of understanding with the State Police that we are already testing in seven pilot cities, and which we have just presented. In each of the cities we provide a four-day training course for 60 male and female managers on listening skills, understanding violence and risk assessment. A significant agreement precisely to ensure that women are welcomed in the best way when they seek help at a police station.

What is the objective of the Foundation?
We are an open umbrella for all anti-violence centres, we were born to support them, setting cultural change as our goal. © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

For the day of November 25th, the new short by OffiCine-IED

In the Offi-Cine IED short “Till death do us part”a woman decides to rewrite her own history on Earth

Delia (Carla Signoris) is in Paradise, learning English and waiting for her husband to arrive and occupy the free seat next to hers. Instead, Lidia (Amanda Sandrelli), his “soul mate” shows up, destined to share the same cloud. Delia is worried, is it possible that her Andrea is still alive? Lidia suggests a visit to the Lost Souls office, where an angel (Filippo Scicchitano) will give her the answer. But here’s the discovery: Andrea died the day after her, from a heart attack during a sexual act.

The woman, in disbelief, discovers that her regretted husband is in Hell, given the large quantity of sins he has committed. The angel shows her moments of her life as a wife: there is Andrea who checks her shopping accounts, reproaches her for not knowing how to cook and constantly cheats on her. Distraught, she asks to be able to relive a moment of her past life, that of the first date with Andrea. The young Delia, however, will make a different choice this time. On the occasion of November 25th, OffiCine-IED (the cultural project of IED, the European Institute of Design, born over 10 years ago and directed by Cristina Marchetti, as an experimental space for cinematographic projects) presents the short Till death do us partdirected by Alice Gnech and Edoardo Maione, with the artistic direction of Silvio Soldini. Young Delia and Andrea are played by Francesca Blasutig and Davide Gaudiosi.

«The idea is to talk about those first signs of male violence against women that are often missed: the daily abuses, the debasement, the possession” says Alice, who together with Edoardo had shot the short film last year 2054with Angela Finocchiaro. «I myself experienced a similar situation, and for a long time I didn’t realize that it wasn’t a normal situation. What I thought was attention was actually a form of control. In the short film, however, we wanted to treat the theme lightly, starting from the idea of ​​a comedy.”

Amanda Sandrelli supported the project from the first reading: «Every time they asked me to intervene on violence against women it was for initiatives “downstream” of the phenomenon. This time, however, we want to go “upstream”, the short is like an instruction booklet for learning to recognize wrong dynamics. The girls say: it’s normal for him to be jealous, it means he loves me. But if he controls who you go out with, where you go, how you dress, it’s not good. Until death do us part it’s for them.” The short was made with the institutional partnership of Una Quale Centomila and Dragonfly Foundation While I Woman is media partner. It will be online on the channels of I Woman from November 22nd and from the 25th on offi-cine.com And ied.it.