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Reading 3 min.
in collaboration with
Stéphane Clerget (Child psychiatrist)
According to data shared today by Unicef, 6 out of 10 children under the age of 5 in the world face educational violence. And Western countries such as France would be no exception. We talk about it with Dr Stéphane Clerget, child psychiatrist.
Nearly 400 million children under the age of 5 – or 6 out of 10 children in this age group worldwide – regularly experience psychological aggression or physical punishment at home. This is the harsh reality shared today by Unicef. Among them, around 330 million are physically punished.
Authority without physical sanctions is not acquired everywhere
Violence which, however, has no positive effects, either on the actions or on the minds of the children thus managed.
“When children experience physical or verbal abuse at home, or when they are deprived of the social and emotional attention of loved ones, it can harm their self-esteem and development”explains the Executive Director of UNICEF, Catherine Russell in a press release
On the contrary, “a caring and playful approach to parenting brings joy and helps children feel safe, learn, acquire new skills and navigate the world around them.”
Fortunately, the idea of education without violence is gaining ground. But not at the same rate in different regions of the world. More and more countries are banning physical punishment of children in the home. More than half of the 66 countries that have banned the practice have passed legislation in the past 15 years, but there are still around half a billion children under the age of 5 who do not have adequate legal protection , indicates Unicef. Dangerous social norms that support violent methods of raising children persist around the world: just over one in four mothers or caregivers say physical punishment is necessary to properly raise and educate children. children.
More than 8 out of 10 parents in France admit to having resorted to a form of violence
France is not spared from this sad observation. According to the second barometer of the Children’s Foundation published on June 6, 81% of French parents admit to having resorted to at least one form of violence in 2023. However, 45% of respondents are aware of the harmful and lasting effects of this violence on the health and development of their children. Nearly half of parents do not recognize shouting, slapping the hand, cornering or depriving them of something as a form of violence. On the other hand, 70% of them believe that spanking, shoving, slapping or being locked in the dark are physical violence.
Getting rid of violence requires work on yourself
But then if it seems obvious to us that an education without violence is better for the health of our children, why does this figure not drop drastically as knowledge becomes available on the subject?
For Dr Stéphane Clerget, a child psychiatrist contacted by Doctissimo, it is a matter of understanding how things are evolving.
“What Unicef does is important. But we must remember that violence against children has crossed all cultures, all eras and that it has only recently been called into question (fortunately). Eradicate violence “educational training will definitely take time.”
But the child psychiatrist sees another major obstacle that should not be overlooked: the lack of information and support from parents. “
Despite the laws on the subject, we also realize that containing our violence is not so simple. This requires work on yourself, educational reflection and taking into account the negative consequences on your child. Education without violence is what we must achieve, but it is more difficult to achieve. Yelling or spanking was (wrongly) easier for many. We must recognize this and offer solutions, support, and even training to support change. To present kindness Obviously, it’s not that simple in the daily lives of many parents, who are looking for ways to evolve.”
Slide: 10 misconceptions about education