On the occasion of the National Day of combating bullying at school On 10 November, France 2 broadcast a special evening programme on this theme the night before.
Following the broadcast of the film «La Vie scolaire» (School Life) and the Infrarouge documentary «Harcèlement scolaire, les indiens contre-attaquent» (School Bullying: The Indians Strike Back), Marie Drucker hosted a debate featuring Justine Atlan, Executive Director of the e-Enfance/3018 Association, Senator Colette Mélot and Edouard Geffray Director General of School Education.
When asked about harassment, Justine Atlan replied: « There is no typical profile of a bullied child; not all redheads are bullied, not all overweight children are bullied. It is something else entirely, and it is not necessarily about a physical difference. Rather, it is a vulnerability that is keenly sensed by the initial bully, who spots this child who is a little different. (…) Very often, jealousy and envy are at the root of harassment.. »
On the issue of bullying in schools, which is at the heart of the debate, she states: « The French Ministry of Education has been aware of the scale of this phenomenon for over 10 years now. »adding that it would also be appropriate to learn social skills based on the observation that ’ As children, teenagers and then adults, we are all thrown into a group in society, but we are not taught how to live with others. »
Finally, she detailed the phenomenon of cyberbullying, which is a potential extension of school bullying, but not only that. She also emphasised the need to support teenagers in this area.
« With the advent of cyberbullying, children today no longer have any respite.. He can no longer take refuge at home in the evenings, at weekends or during holidays, and the harassment has to stop. When you're a teenager today You cannot disconnect at the risk of being completely excluded from the life of your generation.. They are on networks where they continue to be subjected to abuse. This is where they need to be accompanied, supported and ensured that they no longer suffer. »
