Research Institute on Population and Social Policies

Category: News

Questionnaire for informal caregivers: participate in the Age-It research

There is an active questionnaire aimed at informal caregivers, that is, family members, friends or neighbors who offer free, non-professional support to older people with chronic illnesses, disabilities or ongoing care needs.

Filling out the questionnaire takes approximately 15 20-minute and it is completely anonymous. No personal information (name, IP address or other identifying data) will be collected. Responses will be treated in aggregate form and stored in a password-protected electronic format.

The questionnaire is created within the research project PNRR Mission 4 “Education and Research” – Component 2 “From research to business” – Investment 1.3, financed byEuropean Union – NextGenerationEU, project PE00000015 “Age-It”, dedicated to the study of aging to promote an inclusive society for all ages.

🔗 For more information on the project: https://ageit.eu/wp/

📋 To access the questionnaire: https://it.surveymonkey.com/r/caregiversinformali 

Participation is of great value: the data collected will help improve services and support policies for those who provide care in the family or community setting.

Thanks for your cooperation!

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Inclusion and Diversity: Women and Science, Where Are We Now? GETA Report 2024 Published

The GETA 2024 Report is online, which reports recent analyses by internal and external scholars. CNR National Research Council on the situation and evolution of issues concerning the condition of women in science and research with reference to the Italian and foreign experiences and situation.

The work is coordinated by Sveva Avveduto, and the following participated for CNR-IRPPS: Maria Cristina Antonucci, Marco Cellini, Cristiana Crescimbene, Daniela Luzi, Nicolò Marchesini and Fabrizio Pecoraro.

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A 'Guide' to Recognize and 'Dismantle' Gender Stereotypes

The press release of the National Research Council for the publication of the Guide “Gender stereotypes. Recognizing them to break them downli” edited by the CNR-IRPPS group Social Changes, Evaluation and Methods (MUSA):

More than half of primary school children are convinced that men and women have distinct social roles in life: the former of power and command, the latter of care and nurturing (medium-high adherence to the stereotypical male role, 58,6%; female, 52,9%). Among Italian adolescents, and therefore with increasing age and exposure to extra-familial secondary socialization environments, the sexist ideas inoculated by gender stereotypes only weaken, especially among girls (medium-high adherence to the stereotypical male role, 28,3%; female, 30,8%). These are the data collected by the Social Changes, Evaluation and Methods (MUSA) group of the Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies of the National Research Council (Cnr-Irpps), which has produced a Guide: 'Gender Stereotypes' to teach young people, parents and teachers to deconstruct them.

Simple questions, such as: 'What is a stereotype?' 'What are gender roles?', 'How do we assume them?', 'What do they feed on?', 'What are their effects?', 'When should we break them down?', have short and clear answers, developed by experts.

The Guide, explains Antonio Tintori, Cnr-Irpps researcher and coordinator of the MUSA team, was created to satisfy the requests that came from many schools of all levels in Italy: to have an additional tool to raise awareness and educate the new generations to overcome stereotypes that, even in a subtle way, can influence the life choices of children and adolescents.

“Many Italian adolescents explicitly approve of violence and discrimination: 2 in 10 declare themselves openly homophobic and 1 in 10 are racist and sexist,” explains Antonio Tintori. “Furthermore, about 3 in 10 are unable to recognize acts such as insults, coercion, threats as violent, just as they are unable to recognize a gender stereotype, which is the main form of social conditioning that we ‘contract’ in the very first years of life, mainly in the family. This is, in fact, the primary place where social inequalities are reproduced, although adults are usually not even aware of being the first agents of transmission of such powerful social conditioning, which is at the origin of the many asymmetries between men and women in the private, family, work, economic spheres, as well as the cause of violence.”

Focusing on the youngest, with the positive complicity of parents and school teachers, is the way to go if we really want to raise the adults of tomorrow with a critical spirit and free capacity for analysis and judgment. In fact, "Gender stereotypes are reproduced by means of a 'binary socialization', of distinct educational models for males and females; they feed on widespread social symbolisms, which are apparently harmless elements but in reality determine the early rooting of the homonymous roles: colors (pink and light blue), games (weapons and dolls), false myths (Prince Charming and the Princess to be saved), distinct sports (football and dance). These symbols are scattered everywhere, from language (overextended masculine) to cartoons, from media content to school textbooks, games, and narratives", concludes Tintori.

In addition to Guide, the MUSA project has produced the video spot “Gender differences at the roots of social roles”, created in collaboration with the CNR Web TV.

The board

Who: Research Group Social Changes, Evaluation and Methods (MUSA) of the Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies of the National Research Council (Cnr-Irpps)

What: Guide to deconstructing gender stereotypes “Gender stereotypes. Recognizing them to break them down” and video spot “Gender differences at the roots of social roles”.

For information: Antonio Tintori, Cnr-Irpps, tel. 06.492724296, cell. 338.3628178, e-mail: antonio.tintori@cnr.it

– Tintori A., Cerbara L, Ciancimino G. (2023). The state of adolescence 2023. National survey on attitudes and behaviors of students in public secondary schools. CNR-IRPPS Working papers, n. 135;

– Cerbara L., Ciancimino G., Tintori A. (2022). Are We Still a Sexist Society? Primary Socialization and Adherence to Gender Roles in Childhood. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; 19(6), 3408; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063408.

For information and registration:
Antonio Tintori
CNR- Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies
antonio.tintori@cnr.it

Press Office:
Sandra Flower
Cnr – Press Unit
sandra.fiore@cnr.it

Head of Press Office Unit:
Emanuele Guerrini
emanuele.guerrini@cnr.it
ufficiostampa@cnr.it
06 4993 3383

See also:

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Call for Papers: Special Track on Agent-Based Models for Healthcare Systems Research – SSC 2025

A special track, “Agent-based models for healthcare systems research” will be featured at the Social Simulation Conference 2025 (SSC 2025), scheduled for August 25-29, 2025, in Delft, the Netherlands.

This session offers an opportunity for researchers focusing on healthcare management, accessibility to services, and related topics using social simulation to present their work and engage with fellow scholars in the field.

  • Deadline for submission of proposals: April 11, 2025
  • Portal for submission: Opening soon (link will be available on conference website)
  • Publication: Accepted papers will be considered for inclusion in the conference proceedings (Springer), unless the authors opt out.

About the special track

Healthcare system management is a multidisciplinary field requiring a complex and data-driven perspective. Agent-based modeling (ABM) is increasingly used to support healthcare infrastructure management and patient accessibility. This special track aims to gather researchers working on ABM applications in healthcare, fostering discussion on new developments and innovative methodologies.

Topics of Interest (including but not limited to):

  • Accessibility to healthcare infrastructure and patient mobility
  • Intersection of healthcare with other domains (e.g. disaster management, disease spread)
  • Decision-making and management of health infrastructures
  • Hybrid methodologies combining ABM with other simulation approaches

Session Chairs

  • Rocco Paolillo, Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies, National Research Council, Italy
  • Fabrizio Pecoraro, Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies, National Research Council, Italy
  • Filippo Accordino, Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies, National Research Council, Italy
  • Mario Paolucci, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Italy

Contribution Categories

  • Extended Abstract (3-4 pages): Short oral presentations; may include work in progress.
  • Short Articles (max 10 pages): Short/long oral presentations; must include results and conclusions.
  • Long Articles (max 12 pages): Long oral presentations; must include modeling results and conclusions.
  • Abstract for Poster (300-500 words): Poster presentations during the conference.

Contributions on these topics and participation in the conference in Delft are encouraged.

For more details, visit the SSC 2025 conference website.

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Precarious Research

In her investigation into the issues of exploited labor, the CNR-IRPPS researcher Antonella Ciocia has devoted an in-depth analysis to the situation of research workers in Italy and to the recent demands of the precarious staff of the National Research Council. 

The testimony of these experiences is condensed in the audio story “Precarious Research”.

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Solidarity with the Roma and Sinti communities

On February 17th, a serious act of racism was committed against the Italian Romani community in the municipality of Acquappesa in the province of Cosenza. The plaque commemorating the Samudaripen (the Nazi-Fascist genocide of the Roma, Sinti and Manouches) was desecrated: broken in half and thrown on the ground in the street.

Through the research work carried out within various projects, most recently Regard (REmembering Genocide Against Roma Discrimination) e ACE (Active Citizenship in Europe Roma participation against discrimination. Building trust between Roma communities and civil society), CNR-IRPPS contributes to respecting the rights of minorities present in Italy and to combat anti-Gypsyism.

In denouncing the gravity of the event that affects a community present in Italy for over six centuries, the Institute reiterates its commitment, together with other social organizations such as the Union of Italian Romani Communities and cultural personalities, to combat anti-Gypsyism and to promote the inclusion of Roma and Sinti.

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Questionnaire on Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Levels of Physical Activity in Primary and Secondary School Children of Puglia and Basilicata

The National Research Council (CNR), through the Institute of Clinical Physiology (Lecce branch), the Institute of Applied Mathematics and Information Technologies (Milan branch) and the Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies (Research Unit presso Terzi of Brindisi) in collaboration with the San Raffaele Telematic University of Rome, are promoting an investigation on the topic Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and physical activity levels in primary and secondary school children in Puglia and Basilicata.

The study aims to identify intervention strategies to promote healthy lifestyles.

To implement it, parents or legal representatives of primary and secondary school pupils living in Puglia and Basilicata are invited to fill out a short online questionnaire.

The questionnaire is anonymous. and is hosted by the CNR's LimeSurvey platform, which does not perform computer tracking and does not provide for the storage of the data collected once downloaded.

By accessing the platform through the link: https://survey.cnr.it/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=674737&lang=it it will be possible to find further information on the project, view the information (for parents and, if desired, also for minors) and, therefore, fill out the questionnaire.

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Adolescents: Isolation and Cyberbullying – Press Review

More and more adolescents live in a condition of isolation, hyperconnection and exposure to the risk of cyberbullying. This is the picture outlined by two important studies published between January and February 2025 by the MUSA (Social Changes, Evaluation and Methods) research group of the CNR-IRPPS, with the contribution of Antonio Tintori, Loredana Cerbara and Giulia Ciancimino.

The first study, entitled “Self-isolation of adolescents after Covid-19 pandemic between social withdrawal and Hikikomori risk in Italy“, was published in the journal Scientific Reports of the Nature group. Based on data from two cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2019 and 2022 on nationally representative samples of 3.273 and 4.288 adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19, the research highlights a worrying trend: the number of children who no longer meet their friends outside of school has almost doubled after the Covid-19 pandemic.

A few weeks later, the journal Societies (MDPI) published a second study, “Sociopsychological Analysis of a Highly Vulnerable Category of Adolescents: Victim-Perpetrators of Cyberbullying from a Wide National Survey of Italian Adolescents“, curated by the same group. This research delves into the phenomenon of cyberbullying among young people in Italy, analyzing the factors that influence the probability of becoming victims or perpetrators of cyberbullying episodes. Among the most relevant aspects are gender, age, geographic origin, excessive digital connection and low trust in adults.

Both studies have sparked strong interest in public debate, bringing to light often overlooked but increasingly relevant dynamics.

Below is a list of contributions published in recent weeks aimed at a wider audience.

Press review

Video

Audio

Articles

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Gender and Energy Transition – Audio Abstract

Article Exploring the nexus of gender and energy transitions: A systematic literature review just published in Energy Research & Social Science, analyses the link between gender issues and energy transitions, highlighting the need for more inclusive and targeted strategies.

The study, which was carried out for CNR-IRPPS by: Marco Cellini, Cloe Mirenda, Lucio Pisacane, Serena Tagliacozzo, together with Sabine Loos and Clemens Striebing (Fraunhofer IAO) was born within the framework of the European project gEneSys Transforming Gendered Interrelations of Power and Inequalities in Transition Pathways to Sustainable Energy Systems.

The research is based on a systematic literature review (SLR) of 152 scientific publications, identifies seven key dimensions linking gender to energy transitions and offers a structured overview of existing knowledge and identifies research gaps, providing fundamental insights for future studies.

  • Cellini, M., Loos, S., Mirenda, C., Pisacane, L., Striebing, C., & Tagliacozzo, S. (2025). Exploring the nexus of gender and energy transitions: A systematic literature review. Energy Research & Social Science, 119, 103887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2024.103887

He tells us about thearticle Mark Cellini.

On the topics analysed in the article, the gEneSys project promotes the Autumn School Gender and Intersectional Inequalities in Energy Transition.

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Risk of “hikikomori” among Italian adolescents: Article on Scientific Report

CNR press release:

From an analysis of the research group MUSA of the Cnr-Irpps, the number of adolescents who no longer meet their friends in the extracurricular world is growing rapidly: the figures have almost doubled after the Covid-19 pandemic. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, demonstrates that the increase in social isolation in Italy constitutes a serious problem, already chronic and related to the interaction of relational and psychological factors

A study conducted by the multidisciplinary research group “Social Changes, Evaluation and Methods” (MUSA) of the Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies of the National Research Council of Rome (Cnr-Irpps) has investigated, through a socio-psychological research approach, theetiology of the social withdrawal identifying the factors that trigger such behavior among adolescents.

La Research, published in the magazine Scientific Reports Group Nature, was based on data from two cross-sectional surveys conducted by the group in 2019 and 2022 on students of public secondary schools through the CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview) technique and on nationally representative samples composed of 3.273 and 4.288 students respectively. adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years. Through advanced statistical modeling techniques, three profiles of adolescents were identified: “social butterflies”, "the friend-centric"And"solitary wolves“: precisely within this last profile, a subgroup was identified made up of adolescents who no longer meet their friends in the extracurricular world, whose number has almost doubled after the pandemic, going from 5,6% in 2019 to 9,7% in 2022. These are the socially withdrawn.

“Previous studies by our research group had already clarified the causes of some negative effects of the accelerated change in social interactions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated the transposition of human relationships to the virtual sphere,” explains Antonio Tintori, one of the authors of the work together with Loredana Cerbara and Giulia Ciancimino of the MUSA research group of the Cnr-Irpps. “In particular, it has been seen that hyperconnection, or overexposure to social media, plays a primary role in this corrosive process of adolescent interaction and identity and subsequently of individual psychological well-being. Hyperconnection is the main culprit both for self-isolation and for the explosion of suicidal ideation among young people. The study shows that not only has the number of young people who limit themselves to attending school alone in their lives increased dramatically from 2019 to 2022, but also in the adolescent world the habit of spending free time face to face with friends has significantly decreased: the number of “lone wolves” has even tripled in 3 years, going from 15 to 39,4%”.

Although slightly more common among girls, the phenomenon affects both sexes and does not present substantial regional differences, related to the type of school attended or the socio-cultural and economic background of the family, as was supposed in the past. This clearly indicates that the problem is becoming global and endemic.

What do these young people have in common? Poor quality of social relationships (with parents, especially the mother), low relational trust (towards family members and teachers), victimization by cyberbullying and bullying, hyperconnection to social media, poor participation in extracurricular sports and dissatisfaction with one's body. "These factors, further fueled by the pervasive influence of social pressures to conform to unattainable aesthetic standards, erode self-esteem, fostering a sense of inadequacy in social interactions with peers," adds Tintori. "We also found that those who are already in a state of social withdrawal have a more moderate use of social media: this opens the hypothesis that, as the time of physical isolation increases, one gradually disconnects from virtual interactions as well, that is, one moves towards the total renunciation of sociality."

The phenomenon, similar to that of the hikikomori in Japan, could generate a real social emergency: "Our study, in addition to providing useful results for understanding the nature of the problem, highlights the urgency of educational and training interventions to be addressed to parents and school teachers, as well as support for young people, namely specific support for adolescents who are in the most critical conditions", concludes the researcher.

Il The MUSA research group of the Cnr-Irpps, among the first to investigate the phenomenon of social withdrawal, is now continuing its activities by starting a large longitudinal investigation aimed at answering the still open questions and further clarifying the factors in the process that leads to self-isolation. The survey, called “Interactional Changes and Well-being”, will involve thousands of adolescents, both male and female, for five years, allowing for a detailed analysis of the behavioral development of young people in their ways of interacting and other important aspects related to socio-psychological well-being.

The study was conducted with the collaboration of Gianni Corsetti of Istat. 

See the full article Cerbara, L., Ciancimino, G., Corsetti, G. et al. Self-isolation of adolescents after Covid-19 pandemic between social withdrawal and Hikikomori risk in ItalySci rep 15, 1995 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84187-5

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