The government wants to “accelerate” in the fight against cyberbullying. Jean-Noel Barrault, invited to Franceinfo on Monday morning, Minister Delegate in charge of Digital Transition and Telecommunications, announced the creation “from the beginning of the next school year” of an “awareness module” for “all sixth graders”.
It should be given “in a computer lab”, the goal is “to educate students about the risks and the right attitude to take online when someone is a witness or victim of cyberbullying,” he explained. The measure is part of Jean-Noel Barrault’s proposals for a bill presented to the Council of Ministers in early May and to be considered in Parliament in July.
Contacted by Le Parisien, the ministry has yet to elaborate on the outlines of the text, such as the number of hours per year scheduled for this “awareness” or which teacher will be responsible for it.
“360 Degree Approach”
After the suicide of Lindsey, a 13-year-old schoolgirl who was the victim of daily harassment, we need a “much stronger awareness of children,” the minister responded, recalling that the youngest and women were the hardest hit. This “module” is part of the “digital passport” which is currently “tested” and therefore should be summarized at the beginning of the next academic year.
According to a survey conducted by the association e-Enfance and Caisse d’Épargne, published in November 2022, more than one in two young people (aged 18 to 25) have already been the victim of cyberbullying. To combat this scourge, the minister wants a “360-degree approach” that goes “from awareness to sanctions.”
An anti-bullying model of sanctions?
On the sanctions side, the minister wants, as is done for hooligans who are not allowed into stadiums, “to expel those who repeatedly participate in cyber-harassment actions.” Already considered a crime, online harassment is punishable by up to two years in prison and a €30,000 fine.
The penalties are more severe if the victim is under 15 years old. Jean-Noel Barrault argues that the judge can now issue an “additional expulsion sentence” to “prohibit re-registration” of the convicted person on the social network.
Source: Le Parisien
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