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France Sees Surge in School Harassment Cases as New Surveys Map Persistent Abuse

Fresh data show a surge in legal action, prompting calls for stronger prevention, training, mental‑health care.

Overview

  • Official justice statistics record 10,130 school‑harassment cases since 2022, climbing from 530 in 2022 to 3,500 in 2023 and 6,100 in 2024.
  • Among 10,500 identified persons, 52% were not prosecutable; of 5,100 prosecutable cases, 96% drew a penal response, mostly alternative measures, with the minister citing over 600 prosecutions and 4,200+ alternatives by end‑2024.
  • The 2025 Marion La main tendue/Ifop barometer finds 17% of collégiens/lycéens suffer frequent violence, 24% began in primary school, incidents occur mainly on school grounds, and about 40% report harassment on social networks, with higher prevalence in Grand Est and Normandie.
  • Two‑thirds of identified perpetrators report prior victimisation and most cases involve groups with a leader, while sanctions remain uneven, with 60% of authors saying they were not punished.
  • Studies highlight a heavy mental‑health toll—over a third of 11–24‑year‑olds show distress and 37% report harassment or cyberharassment—while experts warn cyberabuse removes safe spaces and new findings show one‑third of families are affected and many children do not disclose the abuse.