For the 4th year, the Millau parenting collective is raising awareness of ordinary educational violence

“Physical violence against children tends to decrease. But psychological violence is still there,” assures the collective. Midi Free – Laura Vaillant

For one week, from April 2 to 6, the Millau Parenting Collective will organize awareness-raising actions around ordinary educational violence.

"Don't touch that, you'll make it fall". "Be careful when taking it not to hurt yourself, I trust you" ? These two sentences, although said in the same situation, will have a different impact on the development of the child. One will take away all self-esteem , especially if the child really drops the object. The other will give him confidence in his abilities. This is what the Millau parenting collective is putting forward, made up of multiple professionals and volunteers, which works against ordinary educational violence (VEO).

VEO are defined, by the collective, as being a "grouping of actions, words, behaviors of the parent or the parent; adult in an educational situation, likely to impact the development of the child". A definition which becomes clearer later. 

"There is physical educational violence and others less visible, exceptional or ordinary, demonstrative or discreet. Most often, they express a state of helplessness in the educational relationship, occasional astonishment, an emotional surge in adults, but they can also correspond to conscious or unconscious educational choices."

As for the figures, the childhood foundation published, in October 2022, its first barometer on ordinary educational violence. The study, carried out by Ifop among 1 314 parents of children aged 0 to 10, reveals that "nearly 8 parents out of 10 declare having recourse to ordinary educational violence, whether physical or moral.

"We wanted to be less judgmental"

To fight against this violence and raise awareness, the South Aveyron collective is organizing an awareness week for the fourth consecutive year. Part of the day of educational non-violence, which takes place on April 30, it is aimed at all parents, future parents and adults in an educational situation. The main objective of this 4th edition: "Relieve guilt and think together about how to transform your behavior", presents Françoise Abarnou, Early Childhood referent at the CCAS of Millau.

"Tou. everyone concerned, everyone confronted. Let's take the blame to transform: a meaningful slogan for this year's operation."By choosing it, we wanted to arouse desires and attract people. We wanted to be more open to everyone, and above all less judgmental towards both professionals and parents", explains the referent.

A week to relieve guilt

"Since one day was not enough to propose our different actions, we made the choice to spread them out over a week" , indicates Céline Verdier, family and social life coordinator for Millau social centers. Conferences, exhibitions, film debates, reading snacks, forum theater, etc. So many possibilities to "reach a certain number of people with different media", analyzes Céline Verdier.

A preview on the market

As part of the awareness week against ordinary educational violence, the Radio Larzac caravan will be at Place Maréchal Foch on Friday March 29, during the weekly market. rsquo;opportunity to present the week and the theme, notably with various interventions.

The week will therefore revolve around an exhibition by Virginia Maillard, alias Bougribouillons, visible in the city of gloves. Also, it will offer two conferences by psychotherapist Violène Riefiolo entitled "VEO : understanding and acting. So as not to reproduce". Also on the program is a film debate with the screening of "The Odyssey of Empathy" and a forum theater at La Fabrick during which the public will be able to react and propose solutions to limit VEO.

Actions which have their place since, according to the members of the collective, "there is still work to be done and certain things are up to them escape like anger […], parents are made aware. In a few years there has been a change in parents' views on VEO".

The entire program can be discovered on the Parenting Collective website.