The warnings given in Paris in recent months, often by highly active parents, have shone a spotlight on something unthinkable in childhood: after-school activities. Hours spent at school, in between periods, before class, after class, at lunch. At the beginning of the year, elementary school teachers do not forget to remind parents who are new to school or who have little information about how it works: we are not the ones responsible for extracurriculars!
Therefore, within the institution, there are two worlds that coexist: the supervised and regulated world of the school; those, which are more vague, less regulated, are left to the responsibility of regional governments, extracurricular activities. It is worth mentioning the extent of the work these animators carry out, in difficult working conditions, an unrecognized and poorly paid profession, as is often the case in childhood and early childhood, with a schedule that makes the practice of other activities almost incompatible. Most of them did their best. But the lack of oversight and resources allocated at times like these also provide fertile ground for excessive action.
In an exclusive interview he gave to Release, Lisa-Lou Wipf, head of the Paris juvenile prosecutor’s office, highlighted a very significant increase in reports of sexual violence, a warning that should not be taken lightly. If in Paris, these cases caused a lot of commotion, then these cases did not only occur in that area. Fortunately, cases of sexual violence are still rarer than cases of ordinary educational violence. Our investigation (for Monday morning reading) revealing the extent to which abusive behavior can develop in this gray area. An unavoidable situation: awareness must lead to the establishment of safeguards on a national scale, so that the safety and well-being of children can be guaranteed at all times.
