Pre-adolescence

The term pre-adolescence refers to the age of girls and boys between 10 and 13/14 years. It is a particular period of life, a sort of limbo in which one is no longer treated as a child but not yet treated as an adult.

“The message that society as a whole sends to this age group is therefore highly contradictory. On the one hand, they are considered on par with children: irresponsible, immature, not yet ready for the world of work, in need of acquiring the skills and knowledge essential for entering life. On the other hand, they are treated differently from children. They are considered to have their own specific needs and requirements, a certain degree of autonomy and decision-making ability is recognized in them, and images and representations of the world intended for them are constructed.”

In this confusion, the most common reaction is to try to build one’s own identity by distancing oneself from the adult world, seeking solidarity and understanding within one’s circle of friends. “This creates a sense of generational belonging, based on the sharing of a common condition, of feeling and seeing things in tune with one’s peers. From this also comes the use of all the means of communication available today, from mobile phones to social networks, to feel part of a community broader than the immediate surroundings, with which and through which to build one’s own identity.”

This age group in Italy corresponds to middle school, or lower secondary school. In schools in general, relationships with families are in crisis, and there is a marked disconnect between the two institutions, but in this stage it is even more pronounced because on both sides there is a sense of disorientation, fear, and often frustration when dealing with young people. In both school and family settings, there is often an unpleasant sense of powerlessness. Teachers and parents feel confused and struggle to find solid points of reference.

Training in affectivity education aimed at these teachers, students, and their families therefore seeks to address the numerous concerns affecting these worlds: an alliance of cultural, social, and institutional order.

The cultural dimension: as we have seen, stereotypes are already formed in childhood and need to be deconstructed; in pre-adolescence, many of these prejudices become more entrenched. It is therefore more difficult to intervene, but it must be done—especially regarding those of a sexual nature.

This is the age group in which young people begin to explore their own bodies and notice the changes. Girls experience menstruation, which changes everything in terms of physicality, lifestyle, and emotions.

Boys begin to develop a different voice, the first facial hair appears, and the first concerns related to their penis arise.

Both discover conscious masturbation, and the first sexual identities and orientations emerge.

They are continually bombarded with sexual images and references on TV and on the web, without having an understanding of their own bodies, their biological functioning, and their potential social role.

The social dimension: it is essential to address the frustration triggered by the impossibility of being recognized either as grown-ups or as children. Acknowledging their place in the world is a meaningful act that can take place through storytelling. Making use of school psychologists means giving them the opportunity to open up—both individually and collectively—to this narrative, in which teachers and parents are also involved and gain additional tools to understand this existential and emotional condition. In the vast majority of cases, their social interactions take place within chat groups.

It is a form of virtual sociality. They are too young to go out entirely on their own and seek group contact through the web.

This is why it is essential to provide them with the tools to relate in the best possible way. Limiting the use of devices at this age is advisable, but it is also true that it is precisely in pre-adolescence that they own their first personal device—cell phone, tablet, personal computer.

Therefore, alongside the attempt to limit online activity, careful training must be provided to boys and girls and their families.

The institutional order: it is precisely at this age that boys and girls must be taught to have a strong awareness of the rights and duties that, as citizens, they will have to and can exercise. The articles of the Constitution represent exactly the values of respect, justice, inclusion, and hospitality to which the entire population is called to respond. The history of women (too often removed and forgotten) and men who have made our country great is a piece that contributes to the formation of active citizenship. In recent years, there has been a large editorial production to enhance the history of women and tell the best experiences. It has been, and continues to be, useful to highlight excellence, but even more useful would be an update of textbooks that clearly brings out women’s participation. Otherwise, the risk is always to sectoralize the public/institutional discourse. Bringing the forgotten to light does not necessarily mean inserting it into ad hoc texts, but reinserting it in the right place. Civic education in general helps bring young people closer to constitutional values, where women have played and continue to play an important role in the difficult democratic balance. But at the same time, women’s participation and presence must be integrated into every field of knowledge.

  • Teacher training
  • Sex education lessons
  • Experiential, playful, and artistic workshops
  • Reading recommendations (reference bibliography)
  • Viewing of short films, TV series, and movies (reference list)
  • Courses on the conscious use of the web and digital devices
  • Meetings with families
  • Psychological support
  • Collaboration with Anti-Violence Centers
  • Feedback through the presentation of the path undertaken or a product created during the project