Every autumn, it's the same ritual: families look for the school insurance policy that best suits their child, while insurers are on the warpath to convince them to sign up for their policy. However, a new type of cover is becoming increasingly popular. Its aim: combat cyberbullying.
An increasingly rich formula
For between £10 and £40 per year, school insurance provides protection for your child during all extracurricular, cultural and sporting activities. Despite its name, this cover extends well beyond the school gates. It protects your child against any physical accidents they may suffer, while also providing civil liability cover in the event that they cause damage to someone else.
Beyond these two basic types of cover, insurers often add optional additional cover to better meet the needs of households. It is therefore possible to cover situations such as racketeering, theft of school supplies, damage to musical instruments or bicycles, or even to finance home schooling in the event of illness. In line with changing lifestyles, this policy has expanded its scope to include the virtual sphere.
A destructive phenomenon
Children can be bullies towards each other. Physical violence, repeated insults, stigmatising mockery based on appearance, disability, gender identity or social status... Bullying is a reality among teenagers.. And it is primarily in the playground that it takes root, particularly at the end of primary school and in secondary school. According to data from the Ministry, one in ten pupils is a victim of bullying.
Previously, victims of bullying could find refuge at home. But in the age of social media, this violence now spills over continuously online. Particularly devastating, cyberbullying intensifies persecution with photos and hateful and humiliating messages shared with hundreds of students in just a few clicks.
Free assistance
While some insurance companies charge for family support services, it is important to remember that several free services are available. These include 3020, the toll-free number « No to harassment », which is an anonymous listening platform run by psychologists and education professionals. It can refer people to a support centre and help to put an end to the situation. But also 3018 toll-free number from e-Enfance. Managed by the’e-Childhood Association, Specialising in the protection of minors on the Internet, this helpline dedicated to cyberbullying is run by psychologists, lawyers and experts in young people's digital habits who are able to have the content in question removed within a few hours.
Article by Julie Polizzi published on 7 October 2019 in 20 Minutes.
