(toskanews) – Italy is going through a profound educational crisis which sees parents increasingly struggling to manage their teenage children. According to data from National Report on the condition of childhood and adolescenceonly 6% of adolescents say that their mother limits their freedom a lot, while 23.1% say that she does so quite a bit. The majority of young people, therefore, grow up without significant restrictions, in what experts define as a real «educational anarchy».
The reversal of roles between parents and children
The problem emerges with particular gravity in the age group between 11 and 15 years oldwhen the concept of limit is undefined for adolescents and is perceived mainly through the point of view of adults. «Today we are witnessing a reversal of roles: the children are no longer at the mercy of their parents as in the twentieth century, but the parents at the mercy of their children», explains the Prof. Daniele Popoliziopresident of the Group CENPIS and pioneer of performance psychology in Italy.
Correlation between control and risky behaviors
The correlation between parental monitoring and risky behaviors it is scientifically proven: there is a negative correlation between parental control and dangerous behaviors, especially in the age group 14-15 years. This means that greater parental control can significantly reduce adolescents’ propensity for risky behavior.
The illusion of digital omnipotence
«The problem arises from the fact that today’s young people do they perceive as omnipotent because they have human knowledge in their hands through a mobile phone», continues Popolizio. “They think they can control everything because they can have information about everything, but they still remain like small children who often become victims of accidents at home.”
The National Parent Forum and the educational emergency
The National Parent Forumthe first national event dedicated to parenting skills organized by the Group CENPIShighlighted how this problem is taking on worrying dimensions. With 400 participants at Knights Hilton of Romethe event recorded an extraordinary participation which testifies to the urgency of the problem. «Surprisingly, while on average 15-20 parents attend school conferences, when we organize them we get 180-200 attendees», he says People.
The issue becomes further complicated in the digital age, where parents have delegated education to external tools that do not have educational but commercial purposes. “THE social networks and digital platforms are not supposed to educate kids, they are economic tools» observes the expert.
The first school for parents in Italy
«We created the first school for parents in Italy» he announces Peoplereferring to the circuit of training events that his group organizes monthly in the most important schools in Rome, such as Righi High Schoolranked first in Italy. The approach is based on the theme of “knowing adolescence to be competent parents today”, an increasingly urgent need in a society that has lost traditional educational reference points.
From excess authority to lack of control
The phenomenon has deep roots in the social transformation of recent decades. If in the twentieth century the problem was excessive parental authority, today we have moved to the opposite extreme:total absence of control. This situation generates adolescents who do not develop a sense of limits and the perception of danger, as tragically demonstrated by recent news episodes.
The solution, according to experts, passes through a recovery of parental skills and a greater awareness of the educational role. «It will take a recovery of parental authoritynot authoritarian but authoritative”, he concludes People. «Parents must go back to being guides for your childrennot their friends or accomplices.”
The impact on society and the future
The impact of this educational crisis is reflected not only on family well-being, but on the entire society. Young people who grow up without limits become adults who struggle to respect rules and manage responsibilities, creating a vicious cycle that perpetuates the generational problem. The future requires a structured intervention which involves families, schools and institutions in a shared educational project, capable of giving young people back that perception of limits which is fundamental for balanced and responsible growth.
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