DORA (Data integratiOn for Acknowledging Risks And protecting Children from Violence) aims to enhance the process of collecting and integrating statistical sources on violence against and against minors, including female genital mutilation/modification, to contribute to a concrete extension of the sources aimed at the knowledge of the intrinsic characteristics of the phenomenon.

The overall objective of the DORA project is to identify existing information gaps on the topic of violence/against minors and to develop statistical solutions capable of combining, integrating, and thus producing refined and easily usable data.

The project, therefore, aims to achieve the following specific objectives:

• to identify and systematize all currently available sources, identifying strengths and weaknesses;
• to contribute to a correct estimation of the extent of the phenomenon in all its multiple dimensions and risk factors
• to define a new framework for measuring violence against children and minors and its consequences;
• to analyze the phenomenon through modeling and data integration;
• to contribute to the improvement of data collection at the national and international level
• to contribute to a more comprehensive view of the phenomenon by advancing data analysis and Statistical collection methodology.

Census and systematization of survey and administrative statistical sources. With this activity, DORA intends to reconstruct the current state of the art concerning the different national sources, which directly or indirectly intersect with the topic of violence against and on minors. The aim is to represent the phenomenon based on the available data, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the surveyed sources and identifying the necessary steps for their improvement.

This activity consists of 4 steps:

• definition of a valid methodology to systematize the available data, analyzed and classified in terms of meta-data to obtain an adequate database to represent the phenomenon;
• processing of the collected information through data fusion procedures or statistical modeling to obtain new measures;
• highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the current data structure to propose a new framework for measurement;
• implementation – where possible – of new questions in the current ISTAT surveys to fill information gaps, further improving data collection on violence against minors.

The lack of statistical sources is at the root of the difficulties in assessing the risk of undergoing genital mutilation/modification among girls with a migration background. DORA proposes a standard for planning sample surveys to fill this gap by proposing and formalizing new and updated survey methodologies and statistical procedures. Furthermore, the project proposes an estimation procedure among girls in Italy by integrating administrative and sample data and proposing a map of associated risk factors among girls of foreign origin.

All the activities and objectives mentioned so far are supported by a strategic communication campaign aimed at providing the scientific community and professionals with all the tools and methodologies implemented during the project and raising the awareness of policymakers and stakeholders on the issue of violence against children.

Conference – 16 June 2025 – 09:30 AM – 01:30 PM Istat, Aula Magna, Via Cesare Balbo 14, Rome.

On 16 June at 9:30 AM, the final conference of the DORA project will be held in Rome, at Istat’s Aula Magna, Via Cesare Balbo 14.
The event, titled “Violence Against Children. Measuring the Phenomenon and Strategies for Counteracting Policies”, will provide an opportunity for dialogue between experts and institutions, focusing on the need for data and contributing to the definition of a new framework for measuring violence against children. This aims to support the development of effective prevention and counteraction strategies, in line with the European Commission’s objectives on children’s rights (2021).

The event will be held in person and will also be available via livestream.
For more information and participation details, please visit the Istat event page: Istat Conference: Violence Against Children.

To register, please fill out these forms at the following links: In-person Registration – Online Registration

Violence against children: Data collection and methodological challenges to efficently address the fenomenon.

From October 14 to 16, the Summer School “Violence Against Children: data collection and methodological challenges to efficiently address the phenomenon” was held in Anacarpi (NA) at the Conference Center of Federico II University.

The three-day event was attended by PhD students, researchers, university professors, professionals, and experts in the field of child violence, as well as third-sector operators and institutional representatives, who participated both online and in person.

The program focused on analyzing the currently available statistical sources on child violence and exploring ways to integrate them to achieve a more precise reconstruction of the phenomenon. The course also included a specific module dedicated to the issue of female genital mutilation.

Below are the slides used during the summer school: