EXIT S.C.S. onus (Exit, cooperative social enterprise onlus)

EXIT S.C.S. Onlus is a cooperative social enterprise (NGO) providing specialized social services in preven-tion and intervention with violence and psychological abuse in different sectors of society as harass-ment/bullying at the workplace and in schools, domestic abuse, maltreatment in groups, especially in reli-gious cults and manipulative groups, but also in families and clans in the North of Italy.

EXIT facilitators come from counselling, education, law, mediation, and psychotherapy. Throughout their work they have observed that abuse through religious and psychological cult groups often coincide with issues of xenophobia, group-oriented hatred, racism, extremism, and hate crime.

In facilitating distancing and disengagement processes, EXIT practitioners use intensive one-on-one settings that employ strategies of empowerment/coping, resilience, reflexion, biography work, family counselling, conflict transformation and mediation. On a second level strategies of enhancing critical thinking and responsibility of choice are applied that may compare to civic education strategies in other countries. The EXIT methodology follows principles of social and psychotherapeutic interaction, as build-up of empathy, trust and work-relationship, confidentiality, clear contract, commitment to non-manipulative procedures and quality management.

A particularly promising aspect of the EXIT approach might be that it effectively attempts to synthesize the practice areas of workplace harassment, domestic violence, cultic self-subjugation, and violence through of political, religious or hate motivated contexts.

In the future EXIT intends to support awareness of hate crime and extremism issues throughout Northern Italy, make an effort to identify specific areas of concern and find and work alongside experienced local practitioner colleagues that are already confronted with these issues.

Contact details:

Cristina Caparesi
Email: exitonlus@gmail.com