(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 20 - Italian President Sergio Mattarella said Wednesday that protecting children from war, violence, exploitation and abuse is not just a legal obligation, it is also "a moral duty that calls upon us all to put the protection of youths at the top of our collective priorities" in his message for World Children's Day.
    The head of State said that ratification by many countries of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was approved by the United Nations General Assembly 35 years ago today, "has not solved existing criticalities. "Millions of children and adolescents in the world are still faced with poverty, social exclusion, inequalities and the denial of fundamental rights," Mattarella continued.
    "Defending the rights of children means providing them with positive points of reference that can guide their development; it means transmitting to them the value of empathy and solidarity and the importance of being accountable for their actions.
    "The hike in episodes of violence among children obliges us to keep our attention high, both in listening to them and vigilating them, in order to be capable of intercepting even the smallest sign of their malaise or distress.
    "The lack of adequate support can make children and youths more vulnerable and inclined to engage in violent behaviour, thus risking driving them into criminal milieux that offer them a false perception of power and belonging.
    "For children, an indiscriminate access to social media and the long time they dedicate to their use are in and of themselves forms of psychological and physical violence that can have serious repercussions on their wellbeing, their health, and their social relations.
    "In order to avoid these risks, it is crucial for families, schools, communities, and institutions to work together to create contexts in which youths can feel appreciated, heard, and guided and in which they can have the right to dream and be free to imagine a future in which they can fully express their potential.
    "Protecting the rights of children means to assure society a future; it means making youths the playmakers of their own lives." (ANSA).