Prevention of GBV must start from age six - psychologist

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 21 - Prevention of violence against women must begin from the earliest age, psychologist and criminologist Antonella Ciccarelli, coordinator of the Marche regional centre for male perpetrators of violence (CUAV) told ANSA on Tuesday.
    "Today men need to do work on their masculinities, but women also need to do work on themselves. We all need to learn to love and to leave one other," said Ciccarelli.
    The psychologist said that prevention against violence against women and femicide must begin "from the earliest years of life; according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) we must start to teach respect, distance, consent at the age of six".
    Resources also need to be made available to maintain anti-violence centres, listening centres and shelters, said Ciccarelli.
    Above all, "we need to hit the information button, a system that worked, for example, years ago in the case of AIDS and before that for polio vaccinations", she added.
    "Women are not always able to read the warning signs, or they think they can control the situation," continued Ciccarelli.
    "This is the result of an idea of care that has ancient roots; the care of emotions, of relationships is imagined as being part of the female role. Women have emancipated themselves, but men still expect certain characteristics from us," she explained.
    In the case of 22-year-old slain Giulia Cecchettin, Ciccarelli said she may have thought she could help her ex boyfriend Filippo Turetta, who is accused of the murder.
    "Nor did the signs of obsession arrive that night," she added.
    "Jealousy, phrases such as 'I can't live without you' are not gestures of love or affection, but of potentially dangerous control," continued Ciccarelli.
    "We must teach boys and girls that there can be a relationship but respecting the development of each individual." (ANSA).