Hundreds of women’s faces are superimposed on naked bodies generated by artificial intelligence. That’s just the latest case deepfake pornography appeared online. This is not an isolated episode: in recent months, channels and sites that distribute intimate images without consent have multiplied, from portals Phica.netobscured after collecting stolen photos of hundreds of Italian girls, to a Telegram group “My wife”where personal and degrading content is shared. An increasingly widespread phenomenon, increasingly involving teenagers and young people, where the ease of registering, creating or distributing false or personal material increases the risk of violence, harassment, marginalization and blackmail. But behind the news there is a deeper problem: the problem of education. He explained it to ilfattoquotidiano.it Gloriana Rangonepsychologist, psychotherapist and one of the directors IRIS school of psychotherapy in Milanformer coordinator of the working group on children and youth rights at the Order of Psychologists of Lombardy.
Reports on deepfake porn forums greatly influence public opinion. What can we tell from the collective reaction to such episodes?
What surprised me most was the emotional power of receiving this news. I saw sadness, anger, despair, but also disorientation. I am sure that many people think that this is not an isolated event, but a broad and transversal phenomenon that really concerns us. It is as if we suddenly see firsthand that the values we thought were consolidated – respect, equality, dignity – do not exist at all. This is why I argue that to truly address these abuses, we must start from afar: with the way we raise children and young people. It is there that the foundations of respect for others, autonomy and responsibility are built. However, currently this educational pathway is increasingly fragile. It is not enough to feel angry when these cases come to light: we need to ask ourselves what we are not doing every day to support healthy growth.
Many observers say that this is not just a sexual issue, but also about power, demonstrations, exhibitions. How much influence does this dynamic have on teenagers?
Adolescence is a transition phase: boys and girls look for confirmation, they want to feel mature, they explore. It’s physiological. But the point is that currently the search for identity often takes the wrong path. The need to appear strong or “ahead” of others is related to underlying insecurities. Thus challenge or violence becomes a means of asserting oneself. This is a serious mistake, but understandable if we look at the context: adults are often not there, or no longer know how to orient themselves. Many parents, educators, teachers underestimate this, they consider certain behaviors to be “childish.” However, what we are talking about are actions that can have bad consequences, including criminal acts. And if adults don’t realize gravity first, how can we expect younger people to?
Deepfake cases show that all it takes is software to create fake images. How much impact does this have on online violence?
This is a huge risk factor and needs to be taken very seriously. But we must not fall into the trap of “artificial intelligence gone wrong”. Technology strengthens what already exists. If a culture is violent, sexist, and full of inequality, AI will only make it more visible and more powerful. This is not a cause-and-effect relationship. The responsibility remains with us: how we educate, what model of relationships we transmit, how we treat bodies and consent. Artificial intelligence and social media did not create violence, they only made it more accessible.
You have worked extensively on the phenomenon of teenage dating violence. How does this manifest itself among today’s youth?
Unfortunately it always shows up early. Today we are talking about relationships that start from the age of 12 or 13, in which violence takes subtle forms: not only physical, but also psychological, control, isolation. It often happens that a girl says: “My boyfriend wants me to write to him as soon as I leave school, to send him photos when I get home”. When you ask why, he replies: “Because he loves me.” This is the most common mistake: confusing possession with love. Behind it lies an emotional misunderstanding that can then lead to more serious actions: the distribution of intimate images, the forced sharing of photos or videos, the total loss of autonomy. I have followed cases where all this had serious psychological consequences, up to self-harm or suicidal behavior.
In Italy there is still no structured affective education in schools. How severe is this deficiency?
It weighs a lot. Education of love and respect must start early, from childhood. The root of the problem is cultural: from an early age we convey different messages to boys and girls: to girls we say “how beautiful you are”, to boys “how strong you are”. Hence the idea that a girl’s worth depends on her appearance, and a boy’s worth is measured by strength or control. The absence of a structured pathway leaves children alone in deciphering emotions, relationships, and boundaries, often through distorted models derived from social media or the internet. School should be a space where we also learn to recognize and manage feelings, not just learn. But collective work is needed: families, media and civil society must contribute to building a culture of mutual respect. This is not just about the school curriculum, but about shared civilization.
While waiting for schools to do more, what can families do?
First of all, talk to each other. It seems trivial, but it’s not. Parents should talk to each other, network, ask for help. Too often we tend to minimize or hide signs of discomfort. And it’s important to maintain a dialogue with your children. The idea of being able to control it is an illusion: children know technology better than we do, they always find a way to escape. But if they feel heard, not judged, then they will open up. Protection is still important, but it must be accompanied by trust. A child is not educated by supervision, but by presence.
Apart from efforts to educate boys about non-violence, should efforts also be made to increase girls’ awareness?
This is just as basic. Girls must understand their value and rights. They need to know that if they experience abuse, there is always a perpetrator, but also a context that enables it. And those who help, those who “watch and do nothing,” are part of the problem. We need a culture of boundaries, which currently no longer exists, not only among children, but also among adults. We must help young people understand that some actions are not “mistakes,” but rather crimes. Stealing an image, distributing it, shaming: all these are actions that violate another person’s freedom. To truly effect change, we need a broad new sensibility involving parents, teachers, institutions, and peers. Because often peers, more than adults, are the first to notice that something is wrong.
