Society. Sexual violence: What does Ciivise propose to protect minors on social media?

Better protecting young people on social media and equipping them to help victims of sexual violence who come forward: the Ciivise "youth" group is presenting 23 recommendations to MPs this Wednesday, aimed at children.

The Independent Commission on Incest and Sexual Violence Against Children ( Ciivise ) has formed a "mirror group" of fifteen adolescents aged 14 to 17, to make proposals, based on their experience, to combat sexual violence, of which it claims one in ten minors are victims. Victims or witnesses of incest or not, they come from Paris, the suburbs, the provinces or overseas.

“Integrate us into prevention systems”

After meeting remotely once a month since January, these young people presented their report on Tuesday to the High Commissioner for Children, Sarah El Haïry , and to the Minister for Digital Affairs, Clara Chappaz, as well as to members of the Ciivise. After a press conference, they will present it on Wednesday to the members of the Delegation for Children's Rights of the National Assembly.

"Protect us from social media," "help us help others," "include us in prevention programs," and "improve listening and support for victims": these are the main messages they practiced presenting to political decision-makers on Tuesday, along with community organizations (Cofrade, E-Enfance).

"When you subscribe to a network like Instagram, it doesn't take more than a minute to receive a private message from a stranger. Young people accept it because they're proud to have followers. However, a 40-year-old adult can easily create a profile as a girl to approach young people," says Côme. "My seven-year-old cousin formed a romantic connection with someone she met on a social network," continues another young person.

A recommended “age threshold”

"On social media, we don't talk to just anyone," they say in the text they prepared. They recommend that sending private messages should only be possible "from the age of 13" and only for people who are mutually subscribed. In their report, they propose awarding "labels to platforms that meet certain quality criteria" and prohibiting those that do not have this label from opening their services to minors.

The risks of cybercrime should be integrated into the "internet permit" and "PIX" programs, two programs used in the National Education system to raise awareness about digital technology, which they consider inadequate. Their report recommends an "age threshold" for access to social networks, with an "identity verification method that respects personal data."

They admit to having gone there themselves "too early," often at the beginning of middle school. "In my little sister's class, there are six-year-olds who have TikTok accounts," explains Léonie. A law passed in 2023 stipulates that minors under 15 cannot register on a social network without parental consent. But it has not yet come into force, pending a response from the European Commission on its compliance with European law.

A “peer support license dedicated to sexual violence”

Furthermore, it is to young people, more than to adults, that victims of sexual violence confide, and they would like to be trained and supported so that they can listen, advise, and refer them to "competent and caring" adults. "It's during evenings, when there are three of us in the kitchen and the alcohol loosens tongues, that this kind of confidence comes out," confides Léonie. "It's massive, it happens often."

“A friend confided in me that he was a victim of incest. I was shocked and sorry I hadn't been there for him sooner. But I didn't know who to refer him to,” confided a young person who requested anonymity. “Young people can play a role in prevention. We want to know what to do, who to contact, and how to react,” they tell policymakers.

They recommend a "peer support license dedicated to sexual violence," adapted to each age group, from primary to secondary school, to create trained "reference persons" among young people in each school. "We don't want decisions to be made without us. We have things to say about our experience," their text states.