Aslan, 18, attended “linguistics. I did two years – he tells Adnkronos Salute – As a trans boy, I experienced bullying and, in the second year, I failed to be able to change schools”. This is how he arrives at the Roberto Rossellini Cine-Tv Institute of Higher Education, in Rome. With Daniele and Aeneas, today it is one of the souls of one online desk who was baptized ‘Con_tatto’: from bullied and homotransphobic students to guardian angels for schoolmates in difficulty, perhaps younger ones, who are still afraid to turn to adults and ask for help. A listening service, peer support against peer violence. From those who have been there and know what it means and how it can feel.
The idea was born in the bed of a project, Youth For Love 2 (YFL2), part of a four-year Italian and European programme, implemented in Italy by ActionAid and Afol Metropolitana. Among the Italian schools featured in the latest edition there is also the Roberto Rossellini film-TV institute in Rome, together with the Paullo vocational training center and the Oriani Mazzini institute in Milan (Youth For Love is active in 15 other schools including Milan, Rome, Agrigento, Palermo, Syracuse and Reggio Calabria). Mission: Prevent, detect and address adolescent peer violence and gender-based violence, in the 14-18 age group, in 5 communities from 4 European countries (Italy, Belgium, Greece and Romania).
Following this path, the students of Is Rossellini created a community laboratory that involved local institutions, the Scosse association, the International Women’s House and various local realities, such as the Cav (Anti-Violence Center) of ASL Roma 3 and DiGay project. The group of teenagers decided to focus their work on promoting well-being and psychological health at school through the creation of the peer support desk. Already active on Instagram (con_tatto.rossellini), the service aims to provide initial support from students for students experiencing violence, discrimination and forms of bullying. “You can tell us,” is the message. “Violence at school is often underestimated by adults. So we want to take matters into our own hands – reasons Enea, 18 – In my opinion, by creating a group, we talk about it more and we can communicate to adults that they shouldn’t underestimate the problem” .
The doorcontinues Aeneas, “it was created for situations where listening is lacking, a place to share experiences and form a group around those who are experiencing bullying or are in situations of fragility. We have created a group on social networks and we use it as a vehicle for listening and sharing. With Youth4Love we have learned not to judge immediately, to be more aware of what is being said”. Aslan goes back to his personal experience. Al Rossellini explains that he “immediately got along very well with the class”. “During one of the first meetings with Youth4Love we he talked about gender identity and I seized the moment to come out – he says – The project gave me the strength to say it in front of everyone and open up. Creating a photographic exhibition, explaining it in front of other people made me feel part of something and gave me the opportunity to give voice to my story. I have to thank the project and also myself for having found the courage to participate – he smiles – I’m very shy, but I felt I had to do it: if I speak and someone else listens and we can express ourselves without judgement, maybe we can fight discrimination” The idea of the counter was commissioned by the group of older students, who want to avoid leaving the little ones in difficulty alone.An anonymous and protected space where you can launch a first SOS, find the comfort of peers who can direct you if necessary towards a structured path of help and psychological support inside and outside the school.The group of students, in fact, has networked with various realities in the area.
“In my old school I suffered from bullying and homophobia – Daniele intervenes, also 18 years old – I changed and at Rossellini I found peace and friendship. We are the effectiveness of Youth4Love: we have become more aware of who we are, how we want to relate to the others, we learned the value of kindness, respect and patience, of listening”. The counter, he says, “was love at first sight: we started from the difficulties that we were the first to face when starting high school. We put ourselves in the shoes of those who are starting out: we address above all boys and girls who are entering a social new. Perhaps you enter a school, it is not said that you come from a family context that leads you to socialize easily, and you are marginalized. You risk no longer seeing school as the learning experience that makes you grow” and experience “full of social relationships that it should be. With the counter we want to unite so as not to leave anyone alone: it is the inclusion of everyone”. The Yfl project “gave me so much: an education in thinking” and how to treat others, Daniele lists. “I met fantastic people: both among participants from other European countries and in my own school”.
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