Ateneo - UPO

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Starting with a re-examination of the fundamental mechanisms established by the legal system to safeguard the "best interests of the child," this analysis explores specific challenges facing professional social work. Key among these is the process of defining the social worker's role within the fields of child protection and juvenile justice. Particular attention will be paid to: supporting minors and their environments in both civil and criminal proceedings; best practices and innovative models currently being piloted—with a specific focus on home-based interventions; power dynamics, aggression, and the handling of errors; and conceptual frameworks and reflections regarding the reality and perception of social work within judicial contexts.
The discussion will focus specifically on the interpretation of the social worker's role and the dignity of social work practice concerning the removal of minors from their families (including cases involving unaccompanied foreign minors).

Lecture notes on the competences and roles of the Juvenile Justice Authorities

For further information, the following are recommended:
• Dominelli, L. (2005), Il servizio sociale. Una professione che cambia. Edizioni Erickson. Capitoli 3 e 5.
• Garena G.,(2026) Processo ai servizi sociali. Un’analisi organizzativa sistemica del caso Bibbiano:metodi, tecniche e modelli innovativi dei servizi per la protezione dei minori, BeHopeBooks
• Garena G., Processo ai servizi sociali. Evidenze, apprendimenti, buone pratiche per tutti i servizi sociali nel dopo Bibbiano” in Riv Welforum.it, settembre 2026
• Garena G., Pinto L., Innovazione e servizio sociale”: un laboratorio a distanza, bilancio partecipato di una esperienza in zona rossa per Covid 19, in La Rivista di Servizio Sociale, luglio 2021
• Garena G., Saccani C., Progettare interventi familiari utili: alcuni nodi e prospettive, in MINORIgiustizia, n.4/2010 Garena G., Tosco L. (2020), Educazione: Cenerentola del welfare al tempo del Covid-19 – Parte 1 e 2, in Riv Welforum, Luglio-Agosto 2020, Milano, Associazione per la ricerca sociale
• Garena G., Stare oggi dalla parte dei minori. Come i servizi sociali possono tutelare il preminente interesse dei minori”, in Animazione Sociale, n.382/2025
• Garena G., Tosco L. (2020), L’allontanamento dei minori nelle nuove fragilità e povertà educative, in Riv. Prospettive Sociali e Sanitarie, n. 3/2020, Milano, IRS
• Garena G., Tosco L. (2020), Nonni in servizio, nonni sulle barricate, Maggioli, Santarcangelo di Romagna (RN), Cap. 4,5,6.
• Garena G.,Tosco L., L’allontanamento dei minori nelle nuove fragilità e povertà educative in Riv Prospettive Sociali e Sanitarie, maggio 2020
• Garena G., Tosco L., Educazione e scuola al tempo del Covid-19, in Riv. Welforum, febbraio 2021
• Garena G., Tosco L., Educazione: Cenerentola del welfare al tempo del Covid-19 – Parte 1a e 2a in Riv. Welforum, settembre 2020
• Garena G.,Gerbo A.M.(2010), Qualità e accreditamento professionale nei servizi sociali, Maggioli, Santarcangelo di Romagna (RN)
• Mastropasqua I. (2018), L'assistente sociale nella giustizia minorile e di comunità, Maggioli, Santarcangelo di Romagna(RM)
• Mastropasqua I., Mordeglia S. (2011, a cura di), Esperienze di probation in Italia ed Europa, Gangemi, Roma
• Moro A.C. (2014), Manuale di diritto minorile, Zanichelli, Bologna
• Pinto L. (2020), Il “campo preoccupato”. Il lavoro sociale con i contesti giudiziari, in Prospettive Sociali e Sanitarie, Milano
• Raineri M.L., Calcaterra V.(2017), Per un social work antioppressivo. Riconoscere e contrastare le discriminazioni nel lavoro sui casi, in Lavoro sociale, Erickson, Trento
• Tomaselli E. (2015), Giustizia e ingiustizia minorile. Tra profonde certezze e ragionevoli dubbi, Angeli, Milano

Orientation of the student in the complexity of protection and
accompaniment of the minor and his context. The relationship between
Social Service and innovation in anti-oppressive practices

enrollment in the third year of the course

A mix of lectures and interactive sessions, including presentations by professionals sharing specific experiences. Case studies and simulations.

Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or Special Educational Needs (SEN) may request specific services and tools by contacting the Student Career Development and Coordination and Student Services Staff and by consulting the dedicated page on the University website: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studentidisabili-e-dsa. Once they have made contact with the University staff, these students may also contact the course instructor to discuss the specific arrangements for exams and other teaching-related matters.

It is advisable to join the workshop experience with the vision of the following movies
- Il sospetto (The Hunt), T.Vinterberg, Danimarca, 2012
- Il figlio (Le fils), J. & L. Dardenne, Belgio, 2002
- Io, Daniel Blake (I, Daniel Blake), K.Loach, GranBretagna, 2016
- L’affido, una storia di violenza, X. Legrand, Francia, 2017
- Jojo Rabbit (Jojo Rabbit),Taika Waititi, USA, 2019
- Io capitano, Matteo Garrone, Italia, 2023

To obtain the suitability for the Laboratory, an individual assessment of the path is envisaged which will cover two sides:
- the personal and original reworking of a topic dealt with in the laboratory
- the quality of participation in the various classroom moments.
Assessment is based on criteria regarding knowledge and understanding of the main topics covered, the ability to present them clearly and effectively, and the capacity to draw connections between topics and explore them critically and with independent judgment

The Innovation and Social Service Laboratory offers an opportunity to harmonize the contents learned so far (from the teachings of Family Law and Criminal Law, from the first internship experiences) with particular attention to the relationship between Social Service and innovation in anti-oppressive practices.
We will use factsheets on the competences and roles of the Juvenile Justice Authorities, on the laws to guarantee the "pre-eminent interest of the minor".
The Laboratory will face some concrete challenges: the accompaniment of minors and their contexts in both civil and criminal matters; best practices and innovative models; dynamics of power, aggression against operators; the relationship with the error; reflections on recent events regarding the removal of minors from their families.

Some important questions will be addressed. Between these:
• what rights are actually guaranteed?
• what is meant by "mild justice?"
• with which strategies is it possible to guarantee the "pre-eminent interest of the child"?
• which innovative methods have recently been tested? with what results?
• How do operators and services manage and govern power dynamics? how can aggression against operators be prevented and dealt with?
•. when and how it is necessary to protect the child from his family and how
• ... when and how to take care of a minor who has committed crimes?
• what kind of collaboration can actually be achieved with the juvenile judiciary?
• rights at risk within challenges contextualized to some of the most relevant phenomena: certainly, the role interpretation of the Social Worker and the dignity of social work regarding the removal of minors from their families, the consequences still deriving from the COVID-19 pandemic, the professional work of the A.S. with unaccompanied foreign minors.

Orientation skills in judicial, social, health, school contexts, ... .. among
the various ethical, cultural, regulatory, organizational challenges