On the occasion of the International Day of the Rights of the Child, the association Enfance & Partage is making public the results of a study on the French and violence against children. The outrage is there, but the lack of information still persists, as does the reflex not to give the alert.
The scourge of violence against children is far from being eradicated. Every five days, a child dies after being a victim within the family circle, a number that is cold in the back and probably underestimated. According to a study on French people facing violence against children, commissioned by the association Enfance & Partage and carried out in partnership with the Elabe institute, the behavior of each in the face of violence once again opens the debate.
If in some countries, this type of violence remains an absolutely taboo subject, in France, mentalities tend to evolve in the right direction. Among the structural problems of French society proposed to the people questioned in the study questionnaire (violence, incivility, poverty, etc.), violence against children comes first, for 34% of respondents.
The French generally recognize the signs of abuse, such as bruises or wounds, withdrawal into oneself, frequent crying … However, in fact, only 19% of them have the impression of having been in front of a child victim of violence, or whom they believed to have been the victim of violence, in recent years.
The omnipresent fear of making mistakes
As we all know, bringing certain accusations in the open can attract problems, but also and above all, ruin a reputation, or even a family if they turn out to be false. Also, although a large part of the population knows how to recognize an abused child when they see one, a good majority will not speak out against what they see. To be exact, 61% of French people wait until they are absolutely sure, with supporting evidence, to alert the competent authorities. Clearly, this expectation amounts to abstaining in case of doubt, and therefore to letting the situation continue.
On this point, Enfance & Partage reiterates the importance of alerting child protection actors, if there is any doubt about the possibility of violence against a child.
A lack of knowledge
Who to contact in the event of a finding of mistreatment? According to the study, 62% of French people do not know which number to contact to report a case of violence against a child and only 16% of them know the dedicated number, the 119. A crying lack of knowledge which penalizes the victims.
Respondents denounce a lack of general information on the subject: 65% of them feel that the subject is not covered enough in the media, and 67% even think that it is a a taboo subject. As a result, 68% of French people do not feel sufficiently informed and believe that they do not have the necessary information to be able to act.
Despite everything, and this is the positive note of this study, 97% of French people believe that "everyone" has a role to play in combating this violence. A growing sensitivity which, we hope, will help the authorities to make strong and fair decisions.