Stop leaving the responsibility of breaking the silence to children. Here is the meaning of one of the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Incest and Child Sexual Abuse (Ciivise) in its interim conclusions published on Thursday 31 March. This commission, launched a year ago by Emmanuel Macron after the publication of the resounding book on incest by Camille Kouchner, The Big Family, Its mission is to formulate avenues for public policy, which the legislator could one day take up. Among his twenty recommendations, the first consists in putting set up a scouting systematic sexual violence against “all children, by all professionals.”
How could this major measure be implemented in practice? “The aggressor has a strategy: he imposes the silence of the child”, describes to franceinfo the co-president of the Ciivise, Edouard Durand. “The child victim is drawn without a mouth because the aggressor imposes the secret on him: ‘If you speak, I will attack your mother or your brothers and sisters’. If we wait for the children to reveal the violence, we will wait a long time. We have no right to wait. It has to be the adult who comes to the child.” hammers the children’s judge.
Currently, the presence of “signs” can alert professionals and lead them to question a child about potential sexual violence: somatic pain, difficulties of expression, the sudden change in demeanor… “We know that there is a clinical picture of child victims of violence that you have to be able to identify, but not all of them show the signs in the same way”, deplore the ciivise co-president. Among children with disabilities, who have a three times higher risk of being victims of sexual violence, these changes in behavior are interpreted as a consequence of their disability. Faced with this observation, the Ciivise insists on the imperative of a “voluntary policy” to search for child victims.
“At school, I saw a social worker. This woman was so nice that if she had asked me the question, I would have told her everything.”
A witnessat the ciivise
Before any evocative sign, inurses, teachers, professors, doctors, lawyers, educators, social workers or childcare workers should, at each opportunity that arises, raise the question of the possible existence of sexual violence, and in particular incest, against the child, according to the list of trades mentioned by the Ciivise. And this systematic questioning must continue, “even in adulthood”insists Edward Durand.
For help professionals to ask these questions, the commission prepares an educational support booklet, depending on the age of the child. “It could be questions like, ‘Did someone hurt you?'” Or : ‘Is something hurting you?'”, details Ernestine Ronai, member of the “protective professional practice” sub-committee of the Ciivise and head of the Observatory of violence against women in Seine-Saint-Denis.
In a report published in 2011, the High Authority for Health (HAS) already published its recommendations addressed to health professionals. It is recommended to “introduce yourself and explain the context of the interview”, “then to start the interview with general questions” for confidence building, before “to let the minor express himself spontaneously” while emphasizing open-ended questions. At the time of the disclosure, HAS recommends “not to show exaggerated emotion but to show an empathetic attitude without passing judgment”while reassuring the child on the duty of protection that professionals have and on his future care.
Beyond its recommendations, the Ciivise calls for training professionals in this systematic identification. “It must become a public policy, that it be validated by the diplomas for all those who will be in contact with children and adolescents”, insists Ernestine Ronai, who fears that, without this, the training will be “at the goodwill of the establishments [d’enseignement et de formation]“. Systematic identification should also be taught during continuing education.
“It is a professional practice that must be adopted: as I do not know who is the victim, I ask the question to everyone.”
Ernestine Ronai, member of the Ciiviseat franceinfo
By asking the question, the professionals will confront heavy stories and the imperative of child protection by making a report. Because all adults are not necessarily equipped to cope, the Ciivise recommends the creation of an advice and support unit for professionals concerned by children’s confidences. “They are going to receive terrible things. In this cell, there should be a shrink, but also a lawyer, a social worker”, adds this former school psychologist.
In September 2021, the Ministry of National Education had already announced the establishment of a “systematic tracking” sexual violence during medical visits at the start of primary and secondary school, but also at 4-5 years old, in kindergarten. Six months after this announcement, the practice is struggling to develop, according to Jocelyne Grousset, deputy general secretary of the National Union of School and University Doctors.
In fact, theDuring medical visits, questions about potential violence are asked “but only when there are suspicions, not in a systematic way”, recognize Jocelyne Grousset with franceinfo. The reason: the lack of personnel in school medicine. “We cannot take on this mission alone, given our number”, she regrets. Currently, there are less than a thousand school doctors (976) stationed throughout the territory, according to figures obtained by franceinfo from the Ministry of Education.
Systematic questioning was indeed included on August 20, 2021 in article L. 541-1 of the Education Code. He is there asked to perform “systematically identifying situations relating to child protection, in particular the risks or acts of physical, psychological or sexual violence suffered by the child, including in the family sphere”, when visiting the child’s sixth year and twelfth year.
Between 2020 and 2021, an quarter of the reports to justice for sexual violence against minors within the family framework came from National Education, recalls the ministry. A statistic that could change in the future if the public authorities decide to adopt the systematic identification of violence for all professionals in contact with children and adolescents, as recommended by the Ciivise.