Gli "orfani" della migrazione. Le conseguenze sul benessere psicologico dei figli della separazione familiare

From a psychological point of view, children with one or both parents migrated abroad may face the stressful condition generated by the separation in different ways, such as developing inappropriate behaviours, or experiencing trauma, or adopting dysfunctional cognitive mechanisms. Such reactions depend on several variables, but the emotional neglect felt by left behind children has emerged as the most common feature. A single remaining parent cannot always compensate for the empty space left behind by the partner who has gone away. As high- lighted by several studies, often this empty space can be better filled by grandparents or uncles and aunts, who take the place of the absent parents. The review of the existing literature shows that the distress resulting from the separation from the parents caused by migration is manifested by these children in different ways and unlike situations: apathy, low self-esteem, anxiety, lack of motivation, lack of long-term projecting and failure of forecasting, low school performance, drop out, fights with teachers and peers, anti-social behaviour, suicidal behaviour.