Overview
- The Défenseur des droits reported a nationwide survey of 1,692 parents, drawn from a 5,030-person poll conducted from October 2024 to January 2025, with 35% saying a child was harassed at school, 16% reporting cyberharassment, and 32% citing unequal treatment by the institution.
- The watchdog describes a tight link between peer harassment, online abuse, and discriminatory school practices, calling it a continuum that can damage children’s well-being and learning.
- Parents who flagged unequal treatment most often pointed to prohibited criteria, including disability or health status at 32%, origin or skin color at 25%, appearance at 25%, and social background at 21%.
- Mothers, parents aged 18 to 34, parents who have faced discrimination, and families in precarious situations were more likely to report incidents.
- Parents pursued formal steps less often for harassment than for unequal treatment, with 7% taking action after harassment versus 16% after unequal treatment, and the ombudsman urges staff training and measures that do not normalize harassment.