School bullying prevention Hauts-de-France, Digi Mart USA News (Beauvais, Oise, France): Thursday, November 5, 2026, marks the national day against school bullying in France. On Wednesday, November 4, the Hauts-de-France regional council held the third edition of its regional forum in Beauvais, bringing together former victims and reviewing the measures in place.
A notable initiative presented at the event is a project unprecedented in France: training for school bus drivers.
Adam Formont, now 17, says he was bullied from sixth grade onward by a classmate who singled him out for his skin condition and his intelligence. He says he was pushed down stairs, suffered lasting effects, and filed a complaint.
He now wants to speak out to help others who are affected.
Svetlana Déhu, a 16-year-old student at the Paul Langevin high school in Beauvais, is the author of a book, À travers les ombres, which describes a young woman’s resilience after choosing to stop staying silent about the bullying she endured early in adolescence. She says she wants her book to raise awareness within the national education system and wants victims to know they are not alone.
According to a study by the Regional Economic, Social and Environmental Council, up to 6% of students may be victims of bullying, mostly at the middle-school level. That represents roughly 700,000 to 1 million students in France bullied at school or online.
Laurent Rigaud, vice-president of the Hauts-de-France region in charge of education and high schools, said the region is committed and that the goal is for such forums to become unnecessary, though work is showing results in schools and more remains to be done.
The region has launched a new initiative to raise awareness among school bus drivers, who see students daily and can recognize early signs. Training modules are co-organized with the association e-Enfance, which supports young victims and witnesses, including through the national helpline 3018.
A reference sheet titled “Les bons réflexes” is also being distributed to help drivers identify concerning situations and know whom to refer students to.
Xavier Bertrand, president of the Hauts-de-France region, said school bullying is not inevitable and that this year the region is taking a new step by involving school bus drivers in its prevention efforts. For the 2026–2027 school year, the region is renewing its LCHSA program against school bullying, which provides regional funding of up to €1,500 per project to public and private schools carrying out prevention, information or awareness initiatives.
Projects supported under the program include training student ambassadors, holding information meetings for parents, bringing in experts and creating an internal school newsletter. The region also says it is continuing awareness work with its high school staff through an e-learning module on the mechanisms of bullying, early warning signs and good practices.
Svetlana Déhu welcomed the initiatives but remained cautious, noting that earlier programs have existed and that it is unclear whether schools fully apply these measures. She said longer-term action is needed, particularly in raising parents’ awareness.
