School harassment: in Haute-Garonne, Terminale students help the youngest to express themselves

In the courtyard of the Vincent Auriol school complex in Revel (Haute-Garonne), which brings together high school and college students, Terminale students are easily identifiable. They are called the “green armbands”, and are available to help the youngest in everyday conflicts. “We are here to help them. We establish a relationship of trust, as we are not CPEs or supervisors. We are here to help them confide in us, to talk about their problems, and to improve the relationship between them.”explains Gaïa Mappas, Terminale student and member of the “green armbands”.

A unique device created six years ago

A reassuring presence at an age when school bullying can be devastating. “Personally, I had a lot of harassment in relation to my morphology, whether it was my height or my weight, and today, among college students, it’s like that but split, because from time to time, it can follow them at home through social networks”explains Maëlis Mittou, Terminale student and member of the “green armbands”. On the strength of their experience, they intervene before situations degenerate, and do not have the right to sanction. A unique device created by this school six years ago. In France, 800,000 to one million students are victims of harassment each year.