In spite of modern society’s increased sensitivity and attention to the world of childhood, abuse continues to mark the existence of too many children and too often continues over time because it fails to be recognized or properly managed by the adults who play a part in the life of the child.
The early detection of abuse and situations of risk, in fact, is often made more problematic by the difficulty that the young victims have to put their discomfort into words.
It is the silence that is one of the most characteristic elements of child abuse: the silence of the victim, the silence of their abuser - and the silence of the adults who, with varying roles, play a part in the life of the child.
Every form of silence has its reasons and every form of silence “hides” and “perpetuates” the abuse. It is difficult for the adults both to deal with a disturbing reality such as child abuse and to correctly interpret the indirect signals of distress provided by the child.
It is essential therefore to provide the adults with the tools necessary to understand and recognize the abuse so that they can intervene more effectively to protect children.
