Within eight weeks, a major consultation launched by the government must present measures to stem “the surge of violence” among minors. The Prime Minister outlined the details of the project and its objectives.
“The youth of France must be the promise of the best, but it can sometimes be the reality of the worst.” It was after noting the “spiral” and the “surge of violence” into which certain young people are falling that the Prime Minister set out the objectives of the “Grenelle” on violence against minors demanded by Emmanuel Macron from Viry-Châtillon, in Essonne, on Thursday April 18.
Gabriel Attal announced a major consultation involving all the stakeholders concerned and a plan calling for the mobilization of all: families, schools, law enforcement, justice as well as all intermediary bodies. And the effects of this consultation must be visible as quickly as possible: “I am giving this collective work eight weeks” to produce conclusions, announced the Prime Minister, already setting a milestone in four weeks, i.e. in mid-May.
The work to come promises to be substantial, because it is a vast plan that Gabriel Attal unfolded in a speech lasting almost 45 minutes. The head of government insisted on three areas of action: “getting the problem at the root” by working with families, schools or against the withdrawal of part of the youth, “enforcing authority” particularly at school and “supporting young people”.
Seeking and acting against “the causes” of violence
To stop the spiral of violence which affects part of the youth, the government wishes to “get to the root of the problem” as Gabriel Attal has repeated several times. And the Prime Minister listed several areas of action to invest in to avoid the “slippage” of young people.
- Family. “Education begins at home” insisted the Prime Minister who promised both to help families in difficulty and to “empower” others when necessary. Gabriel Attal notably formulated the possibility of offering families the sending of the child to a boarding school far from his neighborhood and bad company when the latter begins to approach the “spiral of delinquency”. But the Prime Minister also considered measures to “repress more widely and more severely” resigning parents: sentencing “failing parents” to community service or even a fine for those who do not respond to a summons of justice. He added that from now on both parents will be required to pay reparations for a delinquent child, including in the event of separation.
- The screens. Judging that social networks are “accelerators of hatred” and “catalysts of violence”, Gabriel Attal called for further regulation of the use of screens and a commission must render conclusions on the subject by the end of the month. ‘april. He also mentioned a proposed law aimed at banning screens in nurseries and childminders. But above all he recalled measures already presented, such as the banning of social networks and the real control of the age of users.
- Fight against separatism. “There is no question of an ideology coming to challenge the law in the neighborhoods. The only law that applies is that of the Republic” declared the Prime Minister. The 2021 law against separatism has already borne fruit according to the head of government, who above all mentioned the fight against Islamist separatism, and the fight must continue.
- Delinquency. Gateway to minor violence, the fight against delinquency must also be strengthened and this involves the presence of “blue” in the streets according to the Prime Minister who recalled the recruitment of 10,000 members of the security forces. order since 2017 and 8,000 others since 2022. The emphasis must be placed on the fight against drug trafficking which must be further strengthened by measures from the Ministry of the Interior, after the “clearance” operations.
A “surge of authority”, particularly at school
While Gabriel Attal called for a “surge of authority”, he especially insisted on respect for this authority in all circles, but in particular at school. After promising protection for the 150 schools most at risk in January, the Prime Minister intends to extend the system to 350 other schools.
But it is within the classroom that we must also act according to the government and it is with this in mind that several measures have already been taken at the start of the 2023 school year, such as the establishment of “empathy courses” in 1,000 establishments. The latter must, in addition to raising children’s awareness of the fight against harassment, enable the learning and internalization of common rules according to Gabriel Attal’s speech. They will be generalized from the next school year. Among the measures already presented, those to protect secularism in schools have also been mentioned and must be strengthened. “We are going to strengthen the ‘values of the Republic’ teams, which make it possible to guide and advise teachers and school heads facing difficulties” indicated the head of government.
The Minister of National Education, Nicole Belloubet, is also working on the entry into force of “common sense measures”, which have not been detailed, but which must encourage and lead to respect for authority in schools . Above all, the Prime Minister mentioned the creation of a “contract of duties and obligations” to be signed by parents of students at each start of the school year. This contract is still only at the draft stage and its contours, as well as those of the sanctions linked to non-compliance with the contract, must be studied.
The other novelty envisaged by the government is the possibility that a mention “Troublemaker” could be added to the Parcoursup file of high school students when they apply for higher education courses. A deterrent meant to prevent violence against minors according to him. This mention could be deleted after “the carrying out of activities of general interest” and on condition “to keep one’s temper”, he added. The violence “cannot remain without consequences when it comes to exams and school reports,” insisted the Prime Minister.
Adapted and tougher criminal rules and sanctions
To fight against violence against minors, Gabriel Attal’s solution is also “to adapt penal responses”. The Prime Minister put on the table the possibility of making court appearances immediate from the age of 16, compared to the current age of 18, and indicated that the Minister of Justice was working on the subject. Immediate appearance could also become a dissuasive tool for young people who “believe that their age protects them from everything”. He pleads for young people “who start to drift away (…) to systematically attend an immediate appearance in court” to “understand the rule, understand that it can give rise to sanctions if we do not respect it “.
He also announced that the circular on educational work measures, the equivalent of work of general interest for minors under 15 years old, will be signed in the coming days and will come into force after the spring holidays. It will then be possible to require night care for certain minors, in educational placement establishments.
“There are twice as many adolescents involved in assault and battery, four times more in drug trafficking, and seven times more in armed robberies than in the general population” listed Gabriel Attal during his speech to report of the extent of violence against minors. Violence “which we cannot excuse”, which must be punished, but which we must also try to understand the origin of, he added.