Closed a chat of the "Manzoni" middle school students of Trento for vulgar, violent and racist sentences

What arrives from the medium-sized Manzoni of Trento is unfortunately a story that is increasingly being proposed at every latitude – the analogous case discovered in an institute of the Milanese hinterland – and regards the delicate and not always easy relationship between very young and correct, conscious use of smartphones and the world of social media.

At least, however, in this case a serious episode resulted in something positive: thanks to the attention of teachers and school staff, as well as some of the family members of the boys, quickly realized what was happening, the contents of the chat they came to light and represented an opportunity not only to contain everything quickly, but above all to promote a collective reflection on an increasingly current issue.

In all the classrooms of the secondary school of Corso Buonarroti, the director of the institute comprising Trento 6 Paola Pasqualin had the "Manifesto of non-hostile communication" affixed, the handbook born a couple of years ago as a social project of awareness against the violence of words, which reminds everyone how the scope of what is expressed in the virtual field is real, how words have consequences and how insults and aggression are not topics in a discussion. A poster that would always be good for everyone, not just for kids, keep in mind.

The document, together with timely communications on the incident, was forwarded to all the families of the children also via electronic register. The manager then met all the boys of the first classes to talk about the delicate subject and try to understand the dynamics of what happened.

Everything developed very quickly: the creation of the chat dates back to the beginning of the week. Most likely the group, baptized "Manzoni school" with lots of photos of the school's facade, had been created by some of the kids – almost all belonging to the first class, thirteen and fourteen-year-olds – with the best intentions, given that the description spoke of a tool to share experiences, stay in touch and invited to avoid vulgar or aggressive tones.

Within a few hours, however, through a work of uncontrolled introduction of participants (made possible by the fact that almost all the members were almost immediately endowed with the status of administrator, thus being able to invite other boys in their turn) the group had arrived at count hundreds of members, students from Manzoni and beyond.

What is worse is that the contents have started to take on tones and characteristics that the teachers who dealt with the issue – being able to view the conversations have not hesitated to define disturbing and heavy, very heavy.

From explicit sexual references to memes (photographs usually retouched to launch ironic messages) featuring Hitler and racist messages, to simple vulgarity and generally violent messages.
Also for this reason the institute immediately contacted the police post, not so much to promote complaints but to inform the managers of the Trentino compartment and ask them for support. For thirty years, postal agents have been at the forefront in promoting the conscious use of smartphones and social networks, and among which there are real experts in the collaboration of which the Trentino school constantly uses.

Even the families of the children have been promptly informed, also to ensure that in the family continues, or starts, that path of awareness to the correct use of IT tools – and more generally of awareness of the importance of education – that the school can (or rather, should) only accompany.