Blog by ACAMH Malta
The moral health of our society matters to the mental health of our children.
In the aftermath of the trial concerning the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, Malta is confronting difficult questions about justice, accountability, trust and the values we uphold as a society.
Whatever an individual’s interpretation of the verdict and its wider implications, children and adolescents are watching closely. They observe not only what happens in courtrooms and public institutions, but also how adults respond: The language we use, the anger we amplify, the standards we follow and the values we defend.
Children form their understanding of fairness, authority, safety and responsibility through the behaviour of adults and the dependability of institutions. When they repeatedly encounter allegations of serious wrongdoing, public hostility, social division or an apparent absence of accountability, this may cause moral distress. At its most severe, it can contribute to what psychiatrists have described as moral injury: The psychological harm that may arise when fundamental expectations of what is right, just and trustworthy are profoundly violated.
This is not simply a political issue. It is a child and adolescent mental-health issue.
In 2017, psychiatrist Prof Walter Busuttil wrote in the Times of Malta about moral injury and the psychological consequences that can follow when people feel betrayed by the systems and values meant to protect them. Two years later, the Maltese Association of Psychiatry called for the urgent re-establishment of normality and stability, warning of the wider mental and emotional impact of institutional instability. That statement recognised that a stable, trustworthy society is not an abstract ideal, but an essential foundation for psychological wellbeing.
For a child, a family functions as a “secure base” and a dependable environment from which they can explore, learn, take healthy risks and return for support. Societies and institutions serve a related role. When public life feels unpredictable, unsafe or morally confusing, young people may struggle to know which values are reliable and whether the adults responsible for leading them can be trusted.
The consequences may not always be immediately visible. They can emerge as cynicism, anger, withdrawal, hopelessness, disengagement from civic life, or an increasing belief that honesty and fairness do not matter. Young people may become more vulnerable to polarisation, hostility and the attraction of simplistic answers. A generation that loses confidence in its moral anchors is a generation placed at risk.
This does not mean shielding children from reality or preventing legitimate disagreement. Young people need truthful, age-appropriate conversations about injustice, power and social conflict. They need adults who can acknowledge uncertainty without becoming dismissive, and who can manage disagreement without contempt, aggression or vulgarity.
Rebuilding trust requires more than legal outcomes alone. It requires transparency, accountability and consistent leadership through goverenece. It also requires each of us parents, educators, clinicians, journalists, public officials and community leaders to model integrity in everyday life.
ACAMH Malta works to advance child and adolescent mental health through evidence-based research, education and multidisciplinary practice. We therefore urge those with influence in Maltese society to consider the example being set for the next generation.
It takes a village to raise a child. The moral health of that village matters.
A society rooted in integrity, respect and accountability gives young people something invaluable: The confidence that the world around them can be trusted. A healthier society today helps lay the foundations for a healthier generation tomorrow.