The third edition of the barometer on ordinary educational violence, conducted by the Fondation pour l’Enfance in collaboration with Ifop and the Prévéo team, reveals a nuanced picture of parenting practices in France. While support for violence-free parenting is growing, and knowledge of the effects of VEO is improving, certain practices are still widespread and sometimes perceived as educational.
We spoke to Clémence Lisembard, Head of Programs & Development at Fondation pour l’Enfance, and Olivia Paul, Senior Lecturer in Development Psychology at INSPE Bretagne, about the main findings of this new edition and the priorities they call for to better support families.
What prompted you to launch this 3rd edition of the barometer?
Clémence Lisembard – Fondation pour l’Enfance
Since ordinary educational violence was banned by law in 2019, we’ve seen an evolution in representations. However, we needed to measure what was really changing in practices and mentalities. That’s the aim of the barometer we’ve been running with Ifop since 2022: to track changes in parental knowledge, perceptions and behavior over time.
This third edition highlights a contrasting situation: the majority of parents adhere to the principle of a violence-free upbringing and recognize the negative effects of VEO, but certain practices remain commonplace or perceived as educational. We also wanted to gain a better understanding of parents’ needs, so as to guide our prevention and support initiatives.
Olivia Paul – Prévéo team
For our part, we started from a scientific observation: there is currently no study in France that accurately measures the prevalence of VEO and the factors associated with it. This lack of data limits our ability to develop and evaluate effective prevention initiatives.
Our collaboration with the Foundation has enabled us to add a complementary dimension to the barometer. We have used scientifically validated tools to better understand not only the frequency of VEO, but also the mechanisms that encourage them. We also chose to include parents of teenagers, and to pay particular attention to psychological violence, which is still not very visible, even though it plays a central role in reported practices.
“The majority of parents adhere to the principle of violence-free education, but certain practices remain commonplace or are perceived as educational.”
Clémence Lisembard
programs & Development Manager, Fondation pour l’Enfance
Among all the results, which figures do you find most revealing?
Clémence Lisembard – Fondation pour l’Enfance
The most striking figure is the 84% of parents who say they have used at least one form of verbal, psychological or physical violence in the last twelve months.
But what we find most revealing is the coexistence of two realities.
On the one hand, parents are increasingly aware of the negative effects of educational violence. More than seven out of ten identify the risks it represents for children’s development and mental health, and the trivialization of violence.
On the other hand, a significant proportion continue to attribute educational value to some of these practices. Thus, 40% consider that corporal punishment enables children to learn what is right and wrong, and 25% still believe that spanking is an effective method of education.
This is undoubtedly the major lesson of this edition: knowledge is progressing, but representations are evolving more slowly. The issue is therefore not just one of information, but also of deeply rooted educational norms.
Finally, the barometer reminds us that ordinary educational violence today is mainly verbal and psychological: 83% of parents say they have used at least one of these methods in the last twelve months, compared to 41% for physical violence. So when we talk about VEO, it’s essential not to limit ourselves to physical violence alone.
In light of these findings, where do you see your priorities today?
Clémence Lisembard – Fondation pour l’Enfance
The barometer invites us to act on three complementary levers.
The first is to increase knowledge of child development. Parents express a strong need to understand emotions, behaviors and the different stages of development.
The second is parenting support. VEOs often occur in contexts of fatigue, stress or tension. It is essential to support parents in these situations, without judging them or making them feel guilty.
Last but not least, we must continue to change social representations. The results show that certain practices are still considered useful or necessary, despite the knowledge available about their effects. Changing these norms is a major prevention challenge.
Olivia Paul – Prévéo team
The results confirm the importance of continuing research into the factors associated with the use of VEO in order to identify more precisely the levers of prevention.
One particularly interesting avenue concerns parental knowledge of child and adolescent development. We hypothesize that a better understanding of the needs, skills and behaviors expected at each age can help reduce the use of coercive practices.
Our work also focuses on the resources parents have at their disposal to cope with everyday difficulties. The aim is to gain a better understanding of how social support, access to information and support systems can foster educational practices that respect children’s development and well-being.
“Working with the Foundation enabled us to add a complementary dimension to the barometer. We used scientifically validated tools to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms that foster ordinary educational violence.”
Olivia Paul
Lecturer in Developmental Psychology at INSPE Bretagne
