Is a different future possible? Enabling factors in the life stories of care leavers

Journal title MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL’INFANZIA
Author/s Patrizia Moretti
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2026/2
Language Italian Pages 19 P. 31-49 File size 99 KB
DOI 10.3280/MAL2026-002003
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International literature notes that care leavers are at serious risk of social exclusion and psychological distress, but they are also capable of recovery and good adaptation in adulthood. Since Italian literature on this topic is still limited, it was decided to collect life stories of some Italian care leavers to understand which personal or environmental resources may have supported their adaptation from childhood. The thematic analysis confirms the importance of certain factors such as having goals for the future, seizing opportunities offered by services, understanding the reasons for their removal from care and wanting to differentiate from biological parents, being active in their own life path, having stable relationships with reference adults, and having access to social networks and specialist services.

Keywords: care leaver; protective factors; adjustment; life stories.

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Patrizia Moretti, Un futuro diverso è possibile? Fattori facilitanti nelle storie di vita dei care leaver in "MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL’INFANZIA" 2/2026, pp 31-49, DOI: 10.3280/MAL2026-002003