The latest tragic and brutal case in Florence reopens the wound of violence against women: a social scourge that manifests in physical forms, often leading to death, psychological, sexual, and economic. We analyze this structural and cultural phenomenon, rooted in power inequalities between genders, together with the well-known psychiatrist and essayist Paolo Crepet.
Dr. Crepet, what causes this ongoing violence against women by their partners or ex-partners?
«I would start with the parents, since they are the first who need to be educated. Some take pride in the fact that their sons go from one girl to another, as an expression of virility, of the fact that “they know how to handle it.” These are the same parents who go to school because the teacher “dared” to give their son a bad grade or, worse, “allowed himself” to reprimand him. It is more than natural that, by doing so, these adults are raising adolescents who feel untouchable and therefore incapable of accepting rejection. In this way, the children feel legitimized to commit every atrocity that, alas, can also degenerate into abominable acts, such as femicide. However, be careful: it is true that men must be educated to respect women, but this also applies to women themselves.»
In what sense?
«In the sense that today we have many, too many girls fascinated by violent boys. A few days ago, for example, a famous trapper was arrested. Now I ask myself: how many young women follow these individuals? But above all, why are they fascinated by them? Obviously rhetorical questions, because it is obvious that at the root of everything there is a cultural problem. An educational flaw that, even today, leads women, from a very young age, to be attracted to the type who poses as “the man who never has to ask,” the usual all muscles but no brains. Here, if we started teaching girls that beauty without brains is as insignificant as it is harmful, maybe the number of women victims of violence would decrease. Here we have a problem at the root: an education to violence. People are not born violent, they become so.»
In your opinion, what should be done to solve the situation?
«The watchword is education. Not only parental, but also social. In this sense, the role of friends is fundamental. If parents are unaware that their daughter is dating a violent boy, and the friends know about it, they must intervene and warn her, doing something concrete to keep her away from that person. Added to all this is the problem of social networks: a real lure where girls admire the muscular guy with the tough face, convinced that virility is reduced to muscles, tattoos, and bully attitudes. A completely distorted image of the concept of man, which ends up negatively influencing both boys and girls. It is clear that something is wrong and that we need to wake up, starting precisely from education: teaching both men and women that love is mutual respect and teaching men that rejection is not a failure.»
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