Government Unveils Plan to Combat School Bullying: Measures include empathy lessons, banning social media, and confiscating cell phones

It was announced in June by the Prime Minister after the suicide of Lindsay, 13, in Pas-de-Calais. The government presented its plan to combat school bullying this Wednesday. “With this plan, the time has come for general mobilization well beyond the school framework (…)” affirmed Élisabeth Borne. Against harassment, the Prime Minister promised a “relentless fight”.

“Systematic” referral to the prosecutor in the event of a report, confiscation of cell phones, exclusion of student harassers from social networks, citizenship courses with measures on harassment, strengthening of victim protection… the head of government has listed all a series of measures before giving the floor to the five ministers concerned. The fight against school bullying involves the triptych “100% prevention, 100% detection and 100% solution”, insisted Élisabeth Borne.

Generalized empathy lessons

“The electro shock has begun,” according to Gabriel Attal. The Minister of National Education indicated the establishment of “empathy courses included in the school curriculum”, “like what exists in other countries, particularly in Denmark”. From the start of the 2024 school year, a pilot school in each department will provide empathy courses. This prevention will be accompanied by the detection of cases of harassment. This involves the generalization and simplification of speech.

Thus, during the national anti-bullying day on November 9, “two hours will be made commonplace in all schools in France on this subject,” continues the minister. The questionnaire mentioned by the Prime Minister which wants to “be a detection test” will be offered to all students from CE2 class onwards.

To respond to the freedom of speech, there must be solutions, the third pillar of the government strategy. The harassers will now have to change establishment, and “no longer the harassed”, adds Gabriel Attal.

The minister who “wants to put people back on all levels”, including on the ground, also specified that a cell dedicated to harassment will be created in each rectorate. Academic anti-harassment teams will travel between schools. These will be able to provide support to staff and heads of establishments. He concluded with an objective: “less harassment, more happiness at school”.

Sports educators: “an essential link”

While 6.6 million children are licensed in a sports association, the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra declared the inclusion of a module relating to the fight against harassment in the training of sports educators. They are “an essential link in this struggle”. The minister recalled that a thousand young athletes are victims of cyberharassment “following sports betting” or “simple bad game results”.

Ban from social networks from six months to a year

Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister Delegate in charge of digital transition and telecommunications, announced the “creation of a digital passport and a prevention booklet”, distributed to all students aged 8 to 11 in February 2024 which “will raise awareness of cyberbullying”.

The minister also encouraged students and parents to report incidents of harassment. On the banning of social networks, “the judge may, from the start of the judicial review, pronounce this sentence” against the harassing student. This sentence will last six months and could last up to one year in the event of a repeat offense.

Confiscation of cell phone

The Minister of Justice reminded him of the law of March 2, 2022, which “fights school bullying and creates an offense whose maximum can be up to ten years in prison”.

Éric Dupond-Moretti revealed that a citizenship course with a specific module on harassment will be implemented for the least serious acts. For more serious acts, the minister provides for the systematic seizure of the cell phone and its definitive confiscation if it has been used for cyberharassment.

In addition, “restorative justice measures” could be created, which “allow the harasser and the victim to communicate”.

Finally, the Minister of Health Aurélien Rousseau spoke of the strengthening of the “My psychological support” system. This aims to “facilitate recourse to a psychologist for children, without necessarily requiring a doctor’s prescription”.