At the Re.te. Center You get silent. Not only out of respect, but because that silence is part of the cure. «As soon as you enter, you feel. It is an atmosphere that welcomes you. It is the precondition to be listened to », he says Ivano Zoppi, Secretary General of the Carolina Foundation And creator of this project born at the gates of Milan, in early April.
Net. It is the acronym for “recovery and therapeutic” (in an extensive form of recovery center and therapeutic support for youth inconvenience), but it is above all a wellness house for teenagers and families in difficulty. Here boys arrive who struggle to manage anger, who close in the room, who hurt each other. Some are sent by the juvenile courts, others from schools, others still knock on the door with their parents. In just over a month, there are already about thirty young people welcomed. Nobody is excluded, even those who cannot afford anything.
The first step is listening. Each boy is entitled to a whole year of individual psychological support. Then we move on to the second level, the educational one: group activities designed by age group, and personalized paths in the area. Each young man is accompanied by a reference educator. “A boy, for example, is followed by the psychologist, participates in the theatrical laboratory and then does Ippotherapy. Enter in relation to the horse, he takes care of it, and then … he also spans the manure. It is a way to return, to feel part of something », explains Zoppi. «Growth takes place in everyday life, through concrete and symbolic experiences. It is there that responsibility is built ».
The Center does not only offer services: it builds ties. It does so also thanks to the dedication of educators. “We often go to get the boys at the metro or home stop, because they can’t even go out on their own,” he says Francesca Parravicini, coordinator of educators. «There are fragile stories, sometimes painful. But here they find a space that makes them feel welcomed. Some tell us: “It seems to enter a house” ». And this is precisely the heart of the project: a place that does not judge, that accompanies, that knows how to wait.
The house is beautiful, with large kitchens, colored spaces, a large garden, rooms flooded with light and tables always set for those who want to stop for lunch. “We wanted to create a place where you are fine, because often the boys come from tiring environments, even if only aesthetically. Here they feel valued, even if only because they are welcomed in a beautiful place, “says Zoppi.
Next to psychological interviews and educational work, there are expressive and relational activities: pet therapy, theater, sport, vegetable garden, cuisine, moments in the oratory. Some boys are inserted in testing paths, others participate in creative or communication workshops. There is no lack of training moments for adults: courses for parents and educators, meetings with schools, psycho -pedagogical doors. “There are dads who come back to visit us even when the path is over, “says Francesca. “Because here they found a fixed point, a space of authentic comparison”.
Particular attention is aimed at digital education and prevention of online discomfort, in continuity with the Carolina Foundation work. “When a boy reports an episode of cyberbullying or Revenge Porn, we activate an interdisciplinary team that also involves lawyers and forensic IT,” explains Zoppi. «It is essential to intervene quickly but also educational. It is not just about punishing, but of accompanying in the understanding and repair of the error “.
Over the past two school years, the Cyber prompt intervention service – The “Rescue Team” of the Foundation – managed 274 cases throughout Italy, putting a multidisciplinary team with psychological, clinical, legal and communication skills in the field. “It is a fundamental experience, not only in terms of support, but also of know -how, capable of identifying new intervention models”, observes Zoppi. “And above all he taught us one thing: that the real starting point, even in the most complex cases, is listening”.
Every year, the Foundation meets over 90 thousand students in schools, speakers, sports associations and all places inhabited by children. “Young and very young who know more and better than us adults what cyberbullying is, because they live it daily,” he still underlines lame.
A growing urgency, if you think that between 11 and 19 years, each boy spends on average two months a year on the web. Millions of increasingly connected teenagers, but also more and more alone, exposed to risks of alienation, homologation, polarization, dependencies, anxiety, depression and social retreat. “A guilty educational absence – continues Zoppi – daughter of the poor perception on the role of social and chat in the real life of our children”.
In the start -up phase, the Re.te. Center He has already managed 34 cases of pre -adolescents, teenagers and young adults in a situation of unease and fragility. The cases come from the National Health Service, from the school and territorial networks. “An approach capable not only of intervening downstream of the disorders, but also to act on the symptoms, before the discomfort can lead to pathology,” adds lame.
Net. This is also: a place that does not stigmatize, but shelters. An environment where you can make mistakes and get up, where you learn to recognize your value. «The quality of the relationship is everything. Because these guys often do not have a positive relationship even with themselves. And if you don’t give you value, how do you build good ties with others? “Ivano underlines. «For this reason each path is tailored, because each one is unique. And our task is to remind him ».
But building such a complex system, free for families, requires resources. “When I proposed the project, the Council of the Carolina Foundation said yes, but with a condition: that access would remain free. You only pay insurance. But to do this you need continuous investments », explains Ivano. Some funds have come from the Municipality, others from private supporters, but the needs are growing. «The real challenge is to make it clear that the quality costs. You cannot make a center like this without guaranteeing continuity, time, professionalism. And the boys do not need low -cost solutions: they need real relationships, to feel unique, unrepeatable, precious. Because that’s how they are ».
The future? “We would like to open other centers in other cities. But above all we want to train a new generation of educators and relational wellness professionals. This is a delicate profession, which requires listening, balance, presence. But also so much hope. And that, here, is not lacking ».
