Like a wall, mafias separate society into two. On the one hand, there is the state, with its laws and structures, and on the other hand, the mafia, which offers services and benefits to its associates. One of the largest organizations in the world, the mafia is an association of people, organized with rules and values, characterized by the use of violence. However, it is first and foremost a social organization that involves all aspects of the lives of the people who live in the territories where it is dominant. 

The question is whether and how to jump the wall that separates life in the mafia from life in the rule of law.  
The focus of this study is on children. Involved in a real Mafia pedagogy, they are educated according to Mafia values and rules since they were born.   

The aim of my doctoral research is to study the protection and tutelage paths that the Italian juvenile justice system has developed to answer at following questions:  
What kind of protection of children's rights can be ensured today in the context of mafia families? Which insights emerge from a qualitative analysis of the processes and outcomes of certain projects for the children separated from their parents and placed in alternative care?