Dalla prevenzione al trattamento. Autori di maltrattamenti e di violenza domestica e problemi di effettività della tutela penale

Legislative rules punishing domestic violence and maltreatment within family and close relationships have frequently been addressed with an increase of the penal responsibility and a tightening of penalties. More recently, there is a greater awareness about the need for a more thorough investigation of the reasons of said matters and about the efficacy of the preventive measures in this field. Besides legal tools characterized by a strictly punitive objective, it is paramount to obtain a wider cultural awareness of the issue and appropriate social policies, which are essential elements for a long-term and structured strategy focused on fighting domestic violence.