Bullying and cyberbullying investigations in Milan.

The bullying and its digital counterpart, cyberbullying, are not simple transient relational dynamics or ordinary conflicts linked to growth. They are systematic abusive conduct, characterized by a marked power asymmetry, harmful intent and repetition over time. Often these actions take on the shape of pack violence, within which group disavowal amplifies the effect of the aggression, isolating and compromising the victim's physical, social and school well‑being.

Today the threat has crossed the physical boundaries of schools. Through social platforms, instant‑messaging chats and online forums, persecutory conduct continues unabated, penetrating the victim’s domestic and private sphere 24 hours a day. Arcadia Company, an investigative agency operating under a Prefectural licence pursuant to art. 134 TULPS, supports families and their legal advisers by gathering incontrovertible, legally admissible evidence. Our intervention aims to break the wall of silence, identify the perpetrators and activate immediate legal protections.

The warning bells and the civil liability of parents (Art. 2048 c.c.)

Children who experience abusive dynamics often conceal their distress out of shame, fear of retaliation or guilt. It is essential that parents pay attention to specific behavioral or physical changes that constitute objective risk indicators:

• Frequent and unjustified drops in school performance, sleep disturbances or systematic refusal to attend schools or social venues.
• Unexplained physical signs (bruises, abrasions), torn clothing or systematic damage to personal belongings and technological devices.
• Anomalous and pressing requests for sums of money, a potential indicator of extortionate conduct experienced by the child outside the home.

If schools tend to downplay the phenomenon, independent verification becomes the only way to obtain evidence. From a civil law perspective, the collection of stable evidence is aimed at triggering compensation for damages against the parents of the abusive parties. Under article 2048 of the Civil Code, parents are subject to a presumption of culpa in educando, which can be overcome only by demonstrating that they provided an education capable of preventing unlawful conduct.

Legal framework: when abusive conduct constitutes a crime

Although the criminal code does not expressly define a crime called “bullying”, the individual actions carried out by perpetrators constitute serious offences, prosecutable before ordinary courts or the juvenile tribunal:

• Assault and personal injury (Arts. 581 and 582 c.p.): physical attacks directed at the child.
• Threat and aggravated defamation (Arts. 612 and 595 c.p.): verbal offenses or dissemination of denigrating, multimedia or textual content, also via social or electronic channels.
• Damage and extortion (Arts. 635 and 629 c.p.): destruction of the victim’s property or imposition of payment of sums of money under threat of retaliation.
• Persecutory acts (Art. 612-bis c.p.): The Court of Cassation (judgment no. 28623/2017) confirmed that repeated bullying constitutes the crime of stalking where it is capable of generating a serious and lasting state of anxiety or fear in the victim, or of forcing them to alter their way of life.

The regulation on cyberbullying (Law no. 71/2017): Current legislation defines cyberbullying as any form of pressure, aggression, harassment or blackmail carried out by electronic means against a minor. The law provides specific urgent protections, including requests for blocking and removal of harmful content from web platforms and an administrative procedure for issuing a warning to the Police Chief.

Arcadia Company’s operational protocol: physical and digital analysis

The effectiveness of the evidentiary dossier provided by Arcadia Company lies in the integration of traditional investigative methods and advanced forensic IT techniques, structured into two main intervention areas:

Field investigation and monitoring

Our private investigators conduct dynamic observation and stakeout near schools, public‑transport stops, sports areas and youth gathering places. This activity aims to document and capture with high‑resolution video‑photography the physical assaults or forced isolation acts, always operating at a proper distance and fully respecting the safety and confidentiality of the children involved.

Digital forensics, OSINT and telematic evidence crystallisation

In the context of cyberbullying, a simple screenshot does not have sufficient evidentiary weight in court, as it can be easily altered. Arcadia Company’s IT specialists perform forensic acquisition of telematic data from chats, social profiles and forums, preserving the integrity of the data’s chain of custody through hashing and timestamping. We also conduct OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) investigations to uncover the real identity of fake or anonymous profiles used to perpetrate the harassment.

The collected evidence is summarised in an Integrated Technical Report of high forensic value, fully usable to support private prosecutions, submissions to authorities or civil compensation actions. More information on minors’ digital rights and privacy protection is available on the website of the Garante per la protezione dei dati personali.

Break the isolation: protect your children’s future

Intervening promptly at the first signs of distress is the only way to prevent the chronicisation of psychological and social harm in the child. Arcadia Company offers families a confidential, empathetic preliminary consultation, analysing the legal and technical feasibility of investigations without exposing the child to further emotional stress.