School bullying: what are the signs to spot? - In the news

2023-09-19 13:38:42

September 19, 2023

School bullying is at the heart of the news at the start of the 2023 school year. So much so that the Minister of National Education Gabriel Attal on Monday called on academy rectors for “an electric shock at all levels”. On the parents’ side, certain signs are suggestive of a child being harassed at school. What are the points to watch out for?

Lindsay, 13 years old, May 12, 2023. Nicolas, 15 years old, September 5, 2023. Their parents denounce harassment at school which led these adolescents to end their lives. “Harassment is defined as repeated violence which can be verbal, physical or psychological. This violence is also found within the school: it is committed by one or more students against a victim who cannot defend themselves. notes the Ministry of National Education on its site.

Changes to watch out for

While school bullying has become an increasingly present scourge, many parents worry about their child, with the fear of missing out on their suffering. Withdrawal, hidden harassment at home, change of mood, behavior, it is necessary to be attentive to the signs if the child keeps silent about the ordeal he experiences at school. To support these parents, the Ministry of the Interior has set up a “Sanger evaluation grid in the face of harassment between young people”.

The following signs of harassment are stated:

If the child does not want to go to school;
if his grades have dropped;
if he eats alone;
if he loses his things;
if he has difficulty falling asleep;
if he often has a headache or stomach ache;
if he sleeps poorly;
if he has difficulty doing his homework;
if he is afraid of being alone in the street.

Bruises, without being able to explain them

Clépsy, the site of the child psychiatry department of the Parisian Robert-Debré hospital, also provides “observation trails” to the parent, emphasizing the fact “that no sign is specific to harassment”. It is a set of signs, or a “bundle of arguments” who should alert them. Thus, the child may devalue himself, have dark thoughts, be angry, anxious or stressed. We can notice that he has less energy, that he becomes a homebody, spends more time on screens, abandons hobbies that he previously enjoyed and argues more with the rest of the siblings. Robert-Debré’s neuropsychiatrists add that we can pay attention to the bruises on a child’s body, unable to give an explanation. The fact that your child asks you for money more frequently, or that you suspect him of stealing money, can also be a sign of bullying.

Is your child being bullied at school? Call 3020 to report a situation of harassment at school, 3018 if it concerns cyberharassment. Your child or yourself can inform the management of the establishment, file a complaint at the police station or the gendarmerie. “Any member of educational staff (teacher, principal, etc.) who is aware of acts of harassment must immediately notify the public prosecutor », Further specifies the service-public.fr site.

The Ministry of National Education took up the matter after Nicolas’ suicide. Gabriel Attal demanded on Monday September 18, from the rectors, a “electroshock at all levels” to put an end to bullying at school.

To note : according to a Senate report, the rate of harassment is estimated at around 6% of students. The figures from Unicef France are more pessimistic. According to the organization, one in two children say they are victims of harassment from the age of 7, and one in four adolescents at the age of 18. On the side of UNESCO, it was estimated in 2019 that harassment affected 22% of students.

Source : Clépsy.fr – service-public.fr – School bullying and cyberbullying: general mobilization to better prevent, detect and treat, senat.fr – Danger assessment grid regarding harassment between young people, Ministry of the Interior
Written by : Dorothée Duchemin – Edited by Emmanuel Ducreuzet