The Codice Rosa: a new model of care for victims of violence. The experience in Tuscany

Abstract

The dimension of gender-based violence is a phenomenon which, unfortunately, still does not emerge in its real extent: despite the great attention paid on at international and national levels, the available data are still partial and insufficient, due to different reasons: data are largely “submerged” and it is difficult to compare data and studies because they are not exhaustive enough. In this perspective the great work of local anti-violence networks, institutions and associations that have multiplied their efforts, tried to give tangible answers to needs, offering new ways of providing services. For these motivations, the role played in the healthcare system by the “Codice Rosa” model is particularly important. It is necessary to mention the experience of this model in the Tuscany Region, which has set itself the goal of a serious and effective fight against gender violence and has realized a new model for taking care of victims. Through the “Percorso Donna Codice Rosa”, this network activates a specific, direct and punctual intervention within the Emergency Department, which is then developed in a coordinated manner through the various local networks.