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Stéphane Clerget (Child Psychiatrist)
On Tuesday, September 3, a Parisian teacher lost her temper and deliberately hit a kindergarten student. The scene filmed by another mother is now shocking the web. But what impact can such an act have on the little victim? And what will happen to her schooling? Child psychiatrist Stéphane Clerget answers our questions.
The video circulating on social media is shocking, especially for parents whose children started school for the first time this year. On Tuesday, September 3, in a school in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, a teacher hit a 3-year-old child, making her fall off her chair, before splashing water on her and lecturing her. The little girl, a pupil in the first year of primary school, had just been dropped off and was crying over her parents’ departure. It was another mother, who was also accompanying her child to class, who filmed the very violent scene.
Shocked parents and child
The video was quickly shown to the parents who filed a complaint on Thursday. The teacher acknowledged the facts, which she regretted, but stressed the fact that she was alone in front of 28 students. Her suspension was made official yesterday and an administrative investigation was opened. Other complaints could be added to this first one. But on the parents’ side, and especially the little girl’s, it is the shock that continues.
“The little girl saw a doctor, who judged that her state of shock was severe. She does not want to talk to anyone. She does not look people in the eye, she doesn’t want to go back to school anymore. It was his first experience at school, his first week. It will be very complicated to get him to reintegrate into the school environment.” mentions Vanessa Edberg, his parents’ lawyer, on France Info.
A teacher assaults a little girl in the first year of primary school and sprays a liquid on her head in a school in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. A complaint has been filed. As a lawyer, I will fight this battle hand in hand with the family, as a mother, my heart… pic.twitter.com/5LQ6O6XP5f
— Vanessa EDBERG (@EdbergVanessa) September 9, 2024
Possible trauma, but not mandatory
Can this first violent experience with school impact the girl’s entire school life? This is probably the first fear of parents once they have overcome their shock. Because any negative event at school can, as we know, encourage school refusal, or even a phobia.
But for child psychiatrist Stéphane Clerget, the understandable anxiety and anger of parents must not give way to uncontrolled excitement.There educational violence at school, which was quite common a few years ago, has now become shocking and unacceptable, which is a good thing. However, “a” spanking, for example, is something that the child will be able to get over, depending on what he is told, how the matter is handled, etc. If we manage to calm him down and show him that what the person did is wrong, that he will be punished, the child, even at three years old, is capable of understanding it and getting over this event”, he reassures.
The child’s reaction will be linked to that of his parents.
The whole difficulty of the situation lies in the follow-up to such an event:
“The way in which the child will reinvest in school is very much linked to the way in which those around them will take charge of this and overcome their own anxieties,” insists the expert. In this specific case, he emphasizes, the “good news” is that the action was filmed. So there is a reaction, a sanction, the little girl will change teachers and things can return to a certain order quickly.
“It is much worse when the violence continues without being known, and the child accepts it as normal, or when the violence is present within the family, which is much more frequent than we think,” recalls the expert.
But if those around them remain very anxious and experience what has happened extremely badly, the child risks feeling unwell for a while.
“Parents must not imagine that the little girl will be traumatized for life! It is quite normal to be revolted and anxious in the face of this situation, but knowing that the child is very sensitive to the feelings of her parents, they must be the priority in the explanation, (‘She had no right, she will be punished for what she did’) take it upon themselves, and why not, get support if they are feeling bad and cannot take a step back”, he insists.
As for the other children who were present during the scene, the reactions may vary: “From experience, some must have been indifferent to it, others must have found it normal unfortunately, and others must have been afraid. In any case, here again, the best thing to do is to explain and talk to these children about the mistake made, what was not allowed, and how to make amends.” In the child psychiatrist’s opinion, if this step has been completed successfully, the children should continue their year normally.
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