Trust in whom? Young italian people and interpersonal relationships

In whom do Italian young people trust? Whom do they go to for advice? Who provides them support and for what reasons? What are the characteristics of the people who can support, assist, and work side-by-side with them in the choosing and resolving of problems that they meet in their everyday life? Would they prefer having people as points of reference who are able to guide them on their paths, or would they prefer someone who is able to listen and understand the problems they face without necessarily guiding them through such problems? In order to respond to these questions the Rapporto giovani (done in 2015 by Istituto Toniolo and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano) asked young Italians (i.e., 18 to 29 years old) to identify the people with whom they have established significant relationships and together are building their life-path. The listing of such people able to provide the young assistance is long, however, the analysis of the data gathered has shown that some of those are not very present or even close to those young people they purport to help. This distancing is not surprising and fully in line with the results of previous research carried out by the Rapporto giovani. Such distancing typically has characterized the young western world – in particular, European and North American - for many years: the growth and the ever growing distance from political and social institutions, and, consequently, from those who represent them, and/or are perceived as such by young people. On the contrary, the people who are considered reference points for the young are often family members and friends. Notably, mothers are the closest ones and the fathers, unlike in the past, are much closer to their children.