France’s government promises to root out school bullies, reacting to wide anger over child suicides

By ANGELA CHARLTON and JOHN LEICESTER
Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — The French government is promising a series of measures to curb bullying in schools, reacting to nationwide concern over recent suicides of schoolchildren. The proposals announced Wednesday include blocking school bullies from social networks and giving all children weekly empathy classes. The government also wants to put anti-bullying experts in schools and courts, and provide more state-funded counseling to children targeted by bullies. Many parents feel France’s education system is behind its peers in Europe in addressing the issue and is only gradually catching up.