What to do about educational violence?

This week, Amélia Matar looks back at the violence that took place in a school in the 15th arrondissement of Paris (a video in which we see a teacher hitting a 3-year-old girl in crisis) and the more general issue of educational violence.

After the broadcast of a video of a little girl being beaten in a school in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, many Internet users were shocked by the little girl’s screams, in obvious pain, and especially by the reaction of her teacher who completely lost her cool and reacted in a totally inappropriate way. Marie Danet, a doctor in developmental psychology and lecturer at the University of Lille, believes that such a situation creates a significant feeling of insecurity in the child and constitutes a major source of stress. The child may also find himself in a state of shock.

Joëlle Sicamois, director of the Fondation pour l’enfance, – an organization for the protection of children’s rights that published its second barometer on “ordinary educational violence” last June, with the IFOP institute – believes that this video clearly shows a case of abuse. For her, so-called “ordinary” educational violence (shouting, humiliation and blows presented as legitimate to “educate” the child) remains deeply rooted in French society.

European and French laws are very explicit on this subject: violence against children is strictly prohibited. Whether it is the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989, or in France the law of July 10, 2019 – so it is very recent – ​​which stipulates that “parental authority is exercised without physical or psychological violence.”

States shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child against all forms of violence.

International Convention on the Rights of the Child

As we know, violence has lasting consequences on the lives of children and adults. A report from the World Health Organization shows that children who are victims of violence are at greater risk of developing mental health problems and behavioral disorders. The Fondation pour l’enfance and many other organizations are calling on French society to finally make a major shift on this subject and change its view of children to better protect them from violence, both in the home and at school.

When it comes to child-friendly education, Sweden stands out as an example and its education system is a model in Europe: this country was a pioneer in banning corporal punishment and humiliation in 1979. More than 40 years later, according to recent figures published by the Swedish government, a very large majority of parents are now against corporal punishment.

The incriminated video shows an extreme situation, which cannot be assimilated to any return of authority on which we can possibly discuss. Despite everything, we can see that these facts fuel the debate and, as parents, faced with so many contradictory injunctions, we can feel a little lost. Some experts call on us to crack down and isolate children in crisis, for example, others rebel against such advice and invite parents to be very kind.

One thing is certain: violence in its broadest sense is to be avoided. Children need a framework, of course, but also, in order to grow well, a lot of affection and indulgence from adults. We must collectively develop certain psychosocial skills, such as empathy, and adults must also be supported in understanding the child’s needs.

Help can be found from the Maternal and Child Protection services or consult the resources made available to parents and teachers on the website of the Children’s Foundation. It can be difficult to educate a child, even if books abound in bookstores, because the most attractive theories often collide with the singularity of each child, who is unique. Nevertheless, let us remember the words of the English pedagogue Alexander Sutherland Neill, in the 60s: “The cruelty in many children comes from the cruelty inflicted on them by adults.”