A “general mobilization” and a “relentless struggle.” Three weeks after the suicide of young Nicolas in Poissy, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne presented this Wednesday, September 27, a “comprehensive action plan” to combat bullying.
Surrounded by several ministers, including the Minister of Education, Gabriel Attal, she revealed the various measures aimed at mobilizing the educational sector, but also the police, justice, health and digital technologies.
“Whether you are a student who is a victim of harassment, a witness to unacceptable acts, a parent distressed by what their child is going through, a teacher or member of the educational community concerned about certain events, you are not alone,” he said. said Élisabeth Borne.
A review of the main advertisements responding to the following motto: 100% prevention, 100% detection and 100% solutions.
• A questionnaire sent to CE2 students at Terminale
Regarding detection within schools, the government announces the deployment as of November 9 of a questionnaire sent to all students from CE2 to Terminale to identify “weak signals” of bullying.
A device that will allow “to detect situations of harassment that are not necessarily harassment,” explained Minister Gabriel Attal.
• 3018, unique number for bullying
3018, which already existed for victims of digital violence, becomes the unique number for victims of bullying or cyberbullying.
“We are going to make 3018 the single notification number accompanied by a request,” explained Élisabeth Borne, “notification is simple everywhere, that is what 3018 will allow.”
• “Empathy courses” will soon be included in the school curriculum
The Minister of Education also announced the inclusion in the school curriculum of “empathy courses”, a model inspired by the one already tested in Denmark.
“Bullying has disappeared in this country thanks to this strategy,” said the minister, adding that a pilot school will be launched in each department from the beginning of the 2024 school year.
• Change of school of the harassing student in case of serious harassment
When bullying is confirmed, academic intervention teams are deployed and a change of establishment may be ordered for the harassing student in case of serious bullying.
“An important decree now establishes that it is up to the harasser to change establishments and stop being harassed,” declared Gabriel Attal.
• Towards exclusion from the social network used to commit the crime
Among other measures included in the framework of the “100% solutions”, the government wants the harassing student to also be excluded from the social network that could have been used to commit the crime. This is a temporary ban from the social network, lasting 6 months, and even 1 year in case of recidivism.
“We are going to allow harassing students to be excluded from social networks,” explained Élisabeth Borne, “we want quick sanctions both in class and on social networks.”
“We are going to open the possibility for the detention and freedom judge and the investigating judge to prescribe this banishment measure within the framework of judicial control without waiting for the sentence to be handed down,” said the delegate minister in charge of Digital Transition Jean -Noël Barrot.
• A report button on social networks
The executive also announced the launch of a report button on all social networks that links to the 3018 platform dedicated to bullying and cyberbullying.
“When you are a victim or witness of online violence and, in particular, cyberbullying at school, there is only one thing to do and that is to report it,” declared Jean-Noël Barrot.
• Confiscation of the phone in case of repeated harassment
Another measure already used but that the government wants to generalize for cases of bullying: the confiscation of the harassing student’s cell phone.
“It is a relatively young law, but very ambitious that will undoubtedly produce effects to punish the authors,” explained Jean-Noël Barrot.
The Minister of Justice, Éric Dupond-Moretti, clarified that it was an “automatic seizure” of the mobile phone of the student suspected of serious harassment.
“If, of course, it was used for acts of harassment, the final confiscation will be decided by the juvenile court,” added the Minister of Justice.
• “Systematic” referral to the prosecutor in case of complaint
Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne announced the “systematic” referral to the prosecutor in the event of complaints of harassment “in particular thanks to a specific platform between National Education and Justice.”
“I also want complaints to be systematically sent to prosecutors,” said the head of government.
• Easy access to psychological sessions for harassed people
The government has announced the strengthening of the “My Psy Support” system for students who are victims of bullying. This implies easier conditions of access to consultations with psychologists, but also an increase in the number of sessions covered by Health Insurance.
A tool aimed at “thus facilitating consultation with a child psychologist without the need for a medical prescription”, in the words of the Minister of Health, Aurélien Rousseau.
Source: BFM TV
