Adolescents and children are statistically more at risk of witnessing or perpetrating cyberstalking.
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NICOLAS MESSYASZ / SIPA
The violent death of young Alisha in Argenteuil last week aroused great emotion and prompted the public authorities to react.
To fight against the feeling of helplessness often expressed by the parents of adolescents and children who are victims or perpetrators of cyber-bullying at school, several levers of action exist.
Establishing rules before the digital equipment of his child and supporting him in the handling of social networks can in particular reduce the risks of exposure to cyberstalking, underline the specialists in these questions.
For a long time, the phenomenon was minimized.
By parents, adolescents, but also the public authorities.
Officially punished by French law since 2014, cyberstalking has become, over the years, a real legal, political and health issue.
The tragedy that occurred on March 8 in Argenteuil, where a 14-year-old girl, Alisha, was found drowned after being cyber-harassed, prompted the government to react.
“No parent imagines that their own child is participating in a phenomenon of bullying or cyberstalking.
Parents need to be more vigilant and to do this they need to be better equipped, ”declared the Minister for Citizenship, Marlène Schiappa, in particular.
How? 'Or' What ?
And when can parents take action to protect their children from the risks of cyberstalking and support them when they are faced with it?
Support your first steps online
According to a study carried out in France by the e-Enfance association in February 2020 *, more than one in two adolescents (52%) uses private messaging available on social networks.
To anticipate the risks inherent in these digital uses, parents can play a role of “support”, indicates Justine Atlan, general manager of this association specializing in the protection of minors on the Internet.
“It is the parents who generally equip their child.
They must be aware that the risk of cyberviolence exists.
When they decide to do so, they can first ask their child why and how they plan to use their smartphone, tablet or computer, ”she explains.
Parents can then set a framework for use: “Most social networks require a minimum age of 13 to create an account.
You can decide to create an account for your child, with him, and keep control of this account to have access to the content that the child receives, ”she suggests.
Access to the source deemed "essential" by criminal lawyer Eric Morain, who regularly defends victims of cyberstalking: "Parents rarely have access to content shared," liked "or commented on by their child.
The information given to them often does not pass a filter that does not correspond to the digital reality of adolescents, whether they are victims or perpetrators of cyberviolence.
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Pass on some good practices
Once registered and become regular users of their favorite networks, children and adolescents have a good chance of witnessing cyberstalking, at a minimum.
“Fortunately, statistics show that a minority of children are victims of cyberviolence.
It is estimated that this affects 10 to 15% of young people.
Parents must therefore approach this subject in a comprehensive manner and keep in mind that their child can, unfortunately, be active in this phenomenon, ”Justine Atlan recalls.
Thus, it can be useful to give children some keys to guarding against malicious online behavior: not to “like” offensive or insulting content, not to share it, not to comment on it.
Simple but necessary rules since pack harassment has been recognized and punished by law since 2018.
Report, keep, alert
As Eric Morain has pointed out, one of the main difficulties encountered by parents is to identify the symptomatic behaviors linked to cyberstalking and to be informed in time by their child of the cyberviolence to which they are exposed.
“In adolescence, certain behaviors are not always obvious to decipher.
Sleep disorders or a breakdown in social ties can however alert parents, ”points out Michael Stora, psychoanalyst and expert in digital worlds.
These changes of attitude, frequent at this period of life, must arouse the suspicions of adults, abounds Justine Atlan: “It does not necessarily mean that it is linked to harassment or cyberstalking, but it must encourage parents to question their child.
It is possible that he does not immediately say what he is going through, it is often necessary to come back to it, to question him again so that it takes hold and that he ends up confiding.
"If communication between parents and children can sometimes be difficult, the study conducted by e-Enfance in February 2020 reveals that 9 in 10 teenagers who are victims of online violence have" the first instinct to talk about it, and mostly to their parents ".
Once informed, parents and children can act directly on social networks.
Taking screenshots of malicious content is useful, both to alert the various teaching teams who are in contact with the child and in view of possible legal proceedings.
After this step, the content can be reported directly on the platforms and author accounts blocked by users who wish to do so.
It is also possible to report content, when it is clearly illegal, on the Pharos platform.
Seek help from a third party
The networks used by the youngest are not necessarily "mastered" by the parents and the steps to stop cyberstalking can be tedious.
A toll-free number operated by e-Enfance (0800 200 000) makes it possible, for example, to support families in this stage.
“We have agreements with 119, the Pharos platform and the Ministry of Education.
The reports made by this toll-free number are treated as a priority since they target minors, ”explains the general manager of e-Enfance.
“Before considering legal proceedings and depending on the facts committed, obviously, it is also possible to call in a mediator.
This can be done through schools, since the teaching teams are more and more aware of this subject.
It's not about crushing a fly with a club, ”adds lawyer Eric Morain.
Go to court if necessary
Finally, parents confronted with cyberstalking of their child can file a complaint.
“If the content is violent, if it is repeated, if there are threats, the parent or child can go to a police station and file a complaint.
This can have a dissuasive effect for the author (s) but it does not guarantee the removal of the content, ”says Justine Atlan.
If a minor can go alone to the police station or the gendarmerie and report the facts, he cannot become a civil party himself, however, only the parents can do so on his behalf.
* Study on cyberviolence carried out from February 4 to 14, 2020, among 1,000 parents and their teenage children (500 college students aged 10 to 15; 500 high school students aged 15 to 19).
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