The Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, also announced the creation of cells against harassment in the rectorates. It also wants to make it possible to exclude an offending student from social networks.
“Harassment is first and foremost drama. Nicolas, Lindsay, Thibault, Ambre, Lucas… Each of these first names sounds like a failure for us.” Faced with several high-profile cases, Elisabeth Borne and several members of the government presented, Wednesday September 27, an interministerial plan to fight against school bullying. The Prime Minister had made one “absolute priority”, after promising measures from June in reaction to the suicide of Lindsay, a 13-year-old girl, in Pas-de-Calais.
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Since then, the start of the school year has been marked by the suicide of young Nicolas, 15 years old, in Poissy (Yvelines). The Versailles academy and its former rector are under fire, after the revelation of a threatening letter sent in May to the teenager’s parents. “We resolve harassment with humans, not letters.” insisted the Minister of National Education, Gabriel Attal, on Wednesday. Here are the main measures of the plan unveiled by the government.
The “systematic” referral to the prosecutor in the event of a report
Each report of harassment will now be the subject of a referral to the prosecutor, said Elisabeth Borne. The referral will be “systematic”in the words of the Prime Minister, in particular thanks to a dedicated platform to create the link between National Education and Justice. “I also want systematic referral to prosecutors for complaints”specified Elisabeth Borne.
Banning social networks for the harassing student
“We will make it possible to exclude harassing students from social networks”, promised the Prime Minister. Without detailing how this measure could be implemented, she referred to “provisions currently being debated in Parliament, as part of the bill to regulate and secure the digital space”. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Digital Affairs, added that this sanction will be spread over a period of “six months to a year”.
Confiscation of phones
For the most serious facts, the government also counts “develop phone confiscation” of the authors. This sentence will be “decided by the juvenile court”, specified Eric Dupond-Moretti. For the least serious acts, a citizenship course with a module specifically focused on harassment will be made compulsory, in a “restorative aim”, added the Minister of Justice.
A questionnaire to free speech from CE2
So that victims can report a situation of harassment, “tAll students from CE2 to III will complete a self-assessment grid., revealed Elisabeth Borne. A questionnaire has already been “worked with scientists and specialists”, added Gabriel Attal. Another risk assessment grid, intended for law enforcement and justice, will be generalized “in order to improve the quality of hearings”added the Prime Minister.
Implementation of empathy lessons from kindergarten
Gabriel Attal promised to register “in the school curriculum of empathy courses”, from kindergarten, on the model implemented in Denmark, where the Minister of Education visited on Friday. “This will be part of the fundamental knowledge at school,” he estimated. The president of the Superior Council of Programs will be informed “tomorrow”promised the minister, in order to consider the entry into force of this measure from the start of the 2024 school year.
Two hours of teaching on harassment every year
Gabriel Attal stated that “two o’clock [seront] commonplace in all educational establishments in France. to address the theme of harassment with students, on the occasion of the national day dedicated to this subject, November 9. The Prime Minister added that an awareness campaign would also be launched on this occasion, to call for no longer minimizing the words of children.
The creation of dedicated cells in the rectorates
The Minister of National Education promised the creation of a “cell dedicated to harassment” in each rectorate, which could intervene in establishments “as a second resort, when there are situations that we cannot resolve on the ground”, he explained.
A unique reporting number, 3018
The government has also decided to make 3018, an emergency help number currently dedicated to cyberharassment.“the unique reporting number [des faites de harcèlement]accompanied by an application”. Today, 3018 coexists with 3020, a number specifically intended for victims and relatives of victims of school bullying.
“Reporting is a civic gesture”insisted the Minister Delegate in charge of Digital, Jean-Noël Barrot, who “invites children, but also all parents to download” the 3018 application, which already exists. Iadded that platforms like Snapchat and TikTok will be called upon to “refer children and adults who report acts of harassment to 3018”.
Training in many areas
The government plan provides for “the training of all stakeholders in the educational community: students, parents, National Education staff, with the objective that everyone is trained by the end of the five-year term”, promised Elisabeth Borne. Caregivers, sports players, law enforcement, magistrates and Judicial Protection and youth personnel will also be concerned.
“We must not leave professionals in a form of disarray.”judged the Minister of Health, Aurélien Rousseau, who sees in “the fight against school bullying is a public health issue”. For her part, the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra recalled that professionals in her field are “in touch [avec les enfants] in times of life where the signs are a little more perceptible and identifiable.”