School Harassment and Violence - Suicide Provocation
Verified 10 March 2022 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of Justice
A minor is the victim of school harassment when a student has, repeated manner, aggressive speech or behavior towards him. The victim can alert the school’s management, report the incident to the police or gendarmerie, and seek help from nongovernmental organizations. It may also ask the court to convict the perpetrator of the harassment and to make good the damage.
The law punishes bullying in schools, but also bullying and suicide.
Harassment at school
Academic harassment is the act of subjecting a student or group of students to repeated manner to a comrade with aggressive speech or behavior.
Examples of acts considered to be school harassment are mocking, bullying, humiliation, insults.
These acts result in a deterioration of the victim's living conditions, and this is manifested in particular by anxiety, falling educational performance and depression.
Acts of school harassment shall be punished, whether committed inside or outside the school buildings.
The penalties for harassment depend on the seriousness of the consequences of the harassment for the person concerned.
In case of school harassment, the victim and/or his parents can notify the school management.
Steps will need to be taken to resolve the case, including in the context of the plan to combat school violence.
In addition, any member of the educational staff (teacher, principal...) who has knowledge of harassment must notify without delay the public prosecutor. All the information concerning the facts must be transmitted to him.
The victim and/or her parents may also apply to the Academic Directorate of National Education Services (Dasen), for example, to request a change of school.
Victims, parents, or practitioners may contact the following:
Who shall I contact
No to harassment
Reception of young people or parents, victims or witnesses of bullying at school
By telephone
3020
Service open throughout the year from Monday to Friday from 9am to 8pm and Saturday from 9am to 6pm, except on public holidays
Toll-free: call and free service, from landline or mobile
Who shall I contact
National number for victims of digital violence
To ask anonymous and confidential questions about online harassment (cyber-harassment).
By telephone
3018
Open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 8pm and Saturday from 9am to 6pm
Free and anonymous call
Website
Who shall I contact
116 006 - Victim Assistance Number
Listen, inform and advise victims of crime and their families.
By telephone
116,006
Free call
Open 7 days a week from 9am to 7pm
The service can also be accessed by calling the +33 (0)1 80 52 33 76 (Normal pricing number).
By email
victimes@france-victimes.fr
Who shall I contact
Bring charges against the perpetrators
The minor victim can't file a complaint alone.
However, the police may report the incident by handrail by visiting (alone or accompanied) the police or gendarmerie premises.
But if the child victim wants to be involved in the rest of the proceedings, he or she will have to obligatory be represented by an adult (parent, guardian, etc.).
On the other hand, the emancipated or adult victim may file a complaint against the perpetrator(s) of the harassment, whatever their age.
In any case, the victim has 6 yearsAfter the fact, to file a complaint.
On the spot
You must go to a police station or a gendarme brigade of your choice.
You may not be refused the receipt of the complaint.
The complaint is then forwarded to the public prosecutor by the police or gendarmerie.
By mail
You can file a complaint with the public prosecutor.
We need to send a free-form letter the court of law of the place of the offense or of the domicile of the offender.
Who shall I contact
The letter should specify the following:
- Your marital status and full contact information (address and telephone number)
- Detailed account of the facts, date and place of the offense
- Name of the alleged perpetrator if known (otherwise, the complaint will be filed against X)
- Names and addresses of any witnesses to the offense
- Description and provisional or definitive estimate of the damage
- Evidence: medical certificates, work stoppages, miscellaneous invoices, findings ...
- Willingness to take civil action
File a complaint with the public prosecutor
Who shall I contact
You can send your complaint by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, by simple letter or by letter followed.
You can also file your complaint directly at the courthouse.
In any case, a receipt is given to you as soon as the Public Prosecutor's Office has registered your complaint.
It is not possible to file a complaint against the authors' parents. However, they may have to pay compensation to the victim.
In case of misconduct of the educational staff
If the parents of the victim believe that there has been a fault on the part of one or more persons of the institution (teachers, headmaster...), they can ask for compensation.
For example, if the teachers were aware of the facts but did not take any action against the perpetrators.
To claim compensation, parents must enter a civil court.
The competent court depends on the sums involved in the dispute.
- For a case less than or equal to €10,000, it is the local court or the judicial court.
- For a case greater than €10,000No, it's the court.
Who shall I contact
In the case of a public school, the State should compensate the parents of the victim instead of the offending educational staff.
In the case of a private school, the management of the school must compensate the parents instead of the offending members of the educational staff.
Perpetrators of school harassment over the age of 13 are at risk of being punished by educational measures and/or penalties (fine, prison,...).
The measures and penalties applicable to minors under 13 years of age are the responsibility of specific arrangements. Under no circumstances can they go to jail or pay a fine.
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Minor Author
The penalties provided for depend on the seriousness of the consequences of the harassment on the person concerned:
- Where school harassment has not resulted in total incapacity for work (missed school days) or has resulted in total incapacity for work of less than 8 days, it shall be punishable by 1 and a half years imprisonment and €7,500 fine at the most.
- Where school harassment has resulted in a total incapacity for work of more than 8 days, the penalties shall be increased to 2 and a half years and €7,500 fine at the most.
- Where school harassment has led the person concerned to commit suicide or to attempt suicide, the penalties shall be increased to 5 years imprisonment and €7,500 fine at the most.
Major Author
The penalties provided for depend on the seriousness of the consequences of the harassment on the person concerned:
- Where school harassment has not resulted in total incapacity for work (missed school days) or has resulted in total incapacity for work of less than 8 days, it shall be punishable by 3 years imprisonment and €45,000 of fine.
- Where school harassment has resulted in a total incapacity for work of more than 8 days, the penalties shall be increased to 5 years and €75,000 of fine.
- Where school harassment has led the person concerned to commit suicide or to attempt suicide, the penalties shall be increased to 10 years imprisonment and €150,000 of fine.
Violence in schools
School violence refers to acts of physical or moral aggression (such as assault and battery, threats with or without weapons, insults, etc.), which take place in schools or involve students.
Violence can result in physical harm or a deterioration of the victim's living conditions.
Acts of violence in schools are punishable, whether committed inside or outside the school buildings.
The low age of the victim is an aggravating circumstance for the perpetrator, as is the use of the Internet in the realization of the facts.
In case of school violence, the victim or his parents can first notify the school management.
Steps will need to be taken to resolve the case, including in the context of the plan to combat school violence.
In addition, any member of the educational staff (teacher, principal...) who has knowledge of violence must notify without delay the D.A. All the information concerning the facts must be transmitted to him.
Victims and parents may also apply to the Academic Directorate of National Education Services (Dasen), in particular to request a change of school.
Victims, parents, or practitioners can contact the following:
- Online shelter for victims of school violence Net Écoute
- Association of the network of assistance to victims of school violence France Victims at 116 006
Who shall I contact
National number for victims of digital violence
To ask anonymous and confidential questions about online harassment (cyber-harassment).
By telephone
3018
Open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 8pm and Saturday from 9am to 6pm
Free and anonymous call
Website
Who shall I contact
116 006 - Victim Assistance Number
Listen, inform and advise victims of crime and their families.
By telephone
116,006
Free call
Open 7 days a week from 9am to 7pm
The service can also be accessed by calling the +33 (0)1 80 52 33 76 (Normal pricing number).
By email
victimes@france-victimes.fr
Who shall I contact
Bring charges against the perpetrators
The minor victim can't file a complaint alone.
However, the police may report the incident by handrail by visiting (alone or accompanied) the police or gendarmerie premises.
But if the child victim wants to be involved in the rest of the proceedings, he or she will have to obligatory be represented by an adult (parent, guardian, etc.).
On the other hand, the emancipated or adult victim may file a complaint against the students who have committed the acts of harassment, regardless of their age. But also against the educational staff, if they did not take appropriate measures after being informed of the situation.
In any case, the victim has 6 yearsAfter the fact, to file a complaint.
On the spot
You must go to a police station or a gendarme brigade of your choice.
You may not be refused the receipt of the complaint.
The complaint is then forwarded to the public prosecutor by the police or gendarmerie.
By mail
You can file a complaint with the public prosecutor.
We need to send a free-form letter the court of law of the place of the offense or of the domicile of the offender.
Who shall I contact
The letter should specify the following:
- Your marital status and full contact information (address and telephone number)
- Detailed account of the facts, date and place of the offense
- Name of the alleged perpetrator if known (otherwise, the complaint will be filed against X)
- Names and addresses of any witnesses to the offense
- Description and provisional or definitive estimate of the damage
- Evidence: medical certificates, work stoppages, miscellaneous invoices, findings ...
- Willingness to take civil action
File a complaint with the public prosecutor
Who shall I contact
You can send your complaint by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, by simple letter or by letter followed.
You can also file your complaint directly at the courthouse.
In any case, a receipt is given to you as soon as the Public Prosecutor's Office has registered your complaint.
It is not possible to file a complaint against the authors' parents. However, they may have to pay compensation to the victim's parents.
In case of misconduct of the educational staff
If the parents of the victim believe that there has been a fault on the part of one or more persons of the institution (teachers, principal...), they can ask for compensation.
For example, if the teachers were aware of the facts but did not take any action against the perpetrators.
To claim compensation, parents must seize a civilian court.
The competent court depends on the sums involved in the dispute.
- For a case less than or equal to €10,000, it is the local court or the judicial court.
- For a case greater than €10,000No, it's the court.
Who shall I contact
In the case of a public school, the State should compensate the parents of the victim instead of the offending educational staff.
In the case of a private school, the management of the school must compensate the parents instead of the offending members of the educational staff.
Punishable Violence
In view of their seriousness, the facts may be described as willful violence.
This violence can be physical as well as psychological (bullying, humiliation...).
Penalties vary according to the age of the victim and the perpetrator.
Penalties
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Minor Author
Penalty | Victim under 15 | Victim 15 years of age or older |
|---|---|---|
Maximum prison sentence | 2 and a half years | 1 and a half years |
Maximum fine | €1,500 |
Penalty | Victim under 15 | Victim 15 years of age or older |
|---|---|---|
Maximum prison sentence | 3 and a half years | 2 and a half years |
Maximum fine | €7,500 | €7,500 |
Major Author
Penalty | Victim under 15 | Victim 15 years of age or older |
|---|---|---|
Maximum prison sentence | 5 years | 3 years |
Maximum fine | €75,000 | €45,000 |
Penalty | Victim under 15 | Victim 15 years of age or older |
|---|---|---|
Maximum prison sentence | 7 years | 5 years |
Maximum fine | €100,000 | €75,000 |
Suicide provocation
Suicide provocation is the act of inciting a person to attempt to end their life.
This can be caused by, for example, mockery, insults, humiliation, bullying, beatings leading to injury.
Provocation to commit suicide may result in the death of the victim.
It is more severely punished than bullying and violence in schools, whether the acts were committed inside or outside the school.
The low age of the victim is an aggravating circumstance for the author, as is the use of the Internet in the realization of the facts.
In case of provocation to suicide, the victim or his or her parents can first notify the management of the institution.
Steps could be taken to resolve the case, particularly in the context of the plan to combat school violence.
In addition, any member of the educational staff (teacher, principal...) who has knowledge of acts of provocation to suicide must notify without delay the D.A. All the information concerning the facts must be transmitted to him.
Victims and parents may also apply to the Academic Directorate of National Education Services (Dasen), in particular to request a change of school.
Victims, parents, and practitioners can contact the following:
Who shall I contact
No to harassment
Reception of young people or parents, victims or witnesses of bullying at school
By telephone
3020
Service open throughout the year from Monday to Friday from 9am to 8pm and Saturday from 9am to 6pm, except on public holidays
Toll-free: call and free service, from landline or mobile
Who shall I contact
National number for victims of digital violence
To ask anonymous and confidential questions about online harassment (cyber-harassment).
By telephone
3018
Open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 8pm and Saturday from 9am to 6pm
Free and anonymous call
Website
Who shall I contact
116 006 - Victim Assistance Number
Listen, inform and advise victims of crime and their families.
By telephone
116,006
Free call
Open 7 days a week from 9am to 7pm
The service can also be accessed by calling the +33 (0)1 80 52 33 76 (Normal pricing number).
By email
victimes@france-victimes.fr
Who shall I contact
Bring charges against the perpetrators
The minor victim can't file a complaint alone.
However, the police may report the incident by handrail by visiting (alone or accompanied) the police or gendarmerie premises.
But if the child victim wants to be involved in the rest of the proceedings, he or she will have to obligatory be represented by an adult (parent, guardian, etc.).
The victim may file a complaint against the perpetrator(s) of the suicide provocation, regardless of their age. But also against educational staff (if they did not take appropriate measures after being informed of the situation).
In any case, the victim has 6 yearsAfter the fact, to file a complaint.
On the spot
You must go to a police station or a gendarme brigade of your choice.
You may not be refused the receipt of the complaint.
The complaint is then forwarded to the public prosecutor by the police or gendarmerie.
By mail
You can file a complaint with the public prosecutor.
We need to send a free-form letter the court of law of the place of the offense or of the domicile of the offender.
Who shall I contact
The letter should specify the following:
- Your marital status and full contact information (address and telephone number)
- Detailed account of the facts, date and place of the offense
- Name of the alleged perpetrator if known (otherwise, the complaint will be filed against X)
- Names and addresses of any witnesses to the offense
- Description and provisional or definitive estimate of the damage
- Evidence: medical certificates, work stoppages, miscellaneous invoices, findings ...
- Willingness to take civil action
File a complaint with the public prosecutor
Who shall I contact
You can send your complaint by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, by simple letter or by letter followed.
You can also file your complaint directly at the courthouse.
In any case, a receipt is given to you as soon as the Public Prosecutor's Office has registered your complaint.
It is not possible to bring criminal charges against the parents of the perpetrators. On the other hand, they are the ones who will have to pay compensation to the victim's parents.
In case of misconduct of the educational staff
If the parents of the victim believe that there has been a fault on the part of one or more persons of the institution (teachers, principal...), they can ask for compensation.
For example, if the teachers were aware of the facts but did not take any action against the perpetrators.
To claim compensation, parents must enter a civil court.
The competent court depends on the sums involved in the dispute.
- For a case less than or equal to €10,000, it is the local court or the judicial court.
- For a case greater than €10,000No, it's the court.
Who shall I contact
In the case of a public school, the State should compensate the parents of the victim instead of the offending educational staff.
In the case of a private school, the management of the school must compensate the parents instead of the offending members of the educational staff.
The perpetrator of a provocation to suicide faces a fine and a prison sentence.
To be punished, this provocation must have been followed by the suicide or attempted suicide of the victim.
Penalties vary depending on the age of the victim.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Minor Author
Sanctions | Victim under 15 | Victim 15 years of age or older |
|---|---|---|
Maximum prison sentence | 2 and a half years | 1 and a half years |
Maximum fine | €7,500 | €7,500 |
Major Author
Sanctions | Victim under 15 | Victim 15 years of age or older |
|---|---|---|
Maximum prison sentence | 5 years | 3 years |
Maximum fine | €75,000 | €45,000 |
Who can help me?
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Moral harassment
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Penalties for causing suicide
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Obligation to report to the prosecutor
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