We met the young people of the USSM, the Office for Social Services for Minors of the Ministry of Justice, in Palermo. Together, we talked about an important topic, how to prevent gender based violence and how to build positive relationships. Violence is not always visible or physical. Often it hides in everyday words and behaviours, and over time these can start to feel normal.

To guide the conversation, we used a tool called the “Violence Meter”. It is a simple scale that helps people recognise the warning signs in a relationship, from the most subtle to the blatantly toxic.

During the meeting, we reflected on how people behave inside romantic relationships. We discussed which behaviours help build a healthy relationship, and which ones can hurt it. Asking ourselves these questions is the first step towards awareness.

This meeting is part of the activities we carry out with the USSM, thanks to European programmes, to promote inclusion and participation among young people.

Our work is part of the CERV programme of the European Union, which stands for Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values. For our network, preventing gender based violence means one thing above all: making sure that young people know they always have the right to speak up, to express themselves and to ask for support.