<p>France's parliament began examining a draft law on Wednesday that would make bullying at school punishable by up to three years in jail as part of efforts to combat the scourge.</p>.<p>The proposals won support from Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer and are expected to be backed by a majority of lawmakers from President Emmanuel Macron's ruling coalition and the right-wing Republicans party.</p>.<p>"We will never accept the lives of our children being shattered," Blanquer said during a debate, calling the draft law "a way of enforcing the values of the republic."</p>.<p>As well as increasing resources for prevention and education, the legislation would create a new crime of "school bullying" which would carry a maximum three-year jail term and a fine of up to 45,000 euros, depending on the severity of the case and the age of the culpit.</p>.<p>In cases that involved the victim committing suicide, or attempting to, the punishment could be up to 10 years in prison.</p>.<p>Several bullying cases that have ended in tragedy have made headlines in France this year, including the suicide of a 14-year-old girl in the eastern Alsace region in October who was harrassed after she confessed to classmates that she was gay.</p>.<p>In March, the body of another 14-year-old girl was found in the river Seine in Paris.</p>.<p>She had suffered severe bullying from fellow pupils after photos of her in her underwear were stolen from her phone.</p>.<p>She was then allegedly attacked and murdered by two teenagers who were arrested afterwards.</p>.<p>Left-wing opponents of the government criticised the proposed law.</p>.<p>Sabine Rubin from the France Unbowed party called it a "illusionary and demagogic over-reaction."</p>.<p>"We are not in favour of criminalising minors and increasing repression," Michele Victory, an MP from the Socialist party, said ahead of Wednesday's parliamentary debate.</p>.<p>Bullying can already be prosecuted in France under laws criminalising harassment, opponents say.</p>.<p>Erwan Balanant, an MP from the centrist MoDem party who drafted the legislation, said the law would have "a pedogogic value."</p>.<p>"The idea is to engage with the whole of society," he said.</p>.<p>As many as one in ten French school pupils suffer from bullying at some time, surveys show, and experts say the age-old problem has changed in nature because of mobile phones and social networks which often cause public humiliation for victims.</p>.<p>France's first lady, Brigitte Macron, who is a former teacher, has made combating bullying a focus of her charity work since 2017.</p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here</strong></p>
<p>France's parliament began examining a draft law on Wednesday that would make bullying at school punishable by up to three years in jail as part of efforts to combat the scourge.</p>.<p>The proposals won support from Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer and are expected to be backed by a majority of lawmakers from President Emmanuel Macron's ruling coalition and the right-wing Republicans party.</p>.<p>"We will never accept the lives of our children being shattered," Blanquer said during a debate, calling the draft law "a way of enforcing the values of the republic."</p>.<p>As well as increasing resources for prevention and education, the legislation would create a new crime of "school bullying" which would carry a maximum three-year jail term and a fine of up to 45,000 euros, depending on the severity of the case and the age of the culpit.</p>.<p>In cases that involved the victim committing suicide, or attempting to, the punishment could be up to 10 years in prison.</p>.<p>Several bullying cases that have ended in tragedy have made headlines in France this year, including the suicide of a 14-year-old girl in the eastern Alsace region in October who was harrassed after she confessed to classmates that she was gay.</p>.<p>In March, the body of another 14-year-old girl was found in the river Seine in Paris.</p>.<p>She had suffered severe bullying from fellow pupils after photos of her in her underwear were stolen from her phone.</p>.<p>She was then allegedly attacked and murdered by two teenagers who were arrested afterwards.</p>.<p>Left-wing opponents of the government criticised the proposed law.</p>.<p>Sabine Rubin from the France Unbowed party called it a "illusionary and demagogic over-reaction."</p>.<p>"We are not in favour of criminalising minors and increasing repression," Michele Victory, an MP from the Socialist party, said ahead of Wednesday's parliamentary debate.</p>.<p>Bullying can already be prosecuted in France under laws criminalising harassment, opponents say.</p>.<p>Erwan Balanant, an MP from the centrist MoDem party who drafted the legislation, said the law would have "a pedogogic value."</p>.<p>"The idea is to engage with the whole of society," he said.</p>.<p>As many as one in ten French school pupils suffer from bullying at some time, surveys show, and experts say the age-old problem has changed in nature because of mobile phones and social networks which often cause public humiliation for victims.</p>.<p>France's first lady, Brigitte Macron, who is a former teacher, has made combating bullying a focus of her charity work since 2017.</p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here</strong></p>