“We want everyone to know how to react and who to contact in the event of online hatred”

The association ADN sans Haine Paris 1, created in 2021 by 5 students from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, is organizing the 4th edition of its competition to create posters to combat cyberharassment and online hatred.

With her big blue eyes and cascading blonde hair, Margaux Debosque-Trubert, doctoral student in digital law at the Sorbonne, is a young woman very involved in the fight against cyberharassment of minors. Three years ago, she decided to act when someone she was very close to was a victim: “I organized a conference at the university and the event aroused great interest among the students. With four other comrades we decided to mobilize on this subject. Having grown up with digital technologies and social networks, we have witnessed the sometimes harmful consequences of online practices. It seemed essential to us to make our contribution as law students.” From this initiative was born the association ADN sans Haine Paris 1.

We want everyone to know how to react and who to contact if they encounter online hate.

Margaux Debosque-Trubert, president of the ADN sans Haine association

Supported and supported by Célia Zolynski and Judith Rochfeld, teachers at Panthéon-Sorbonne University, the group is committed to informing the general public of the risks linked to the use of social networks and existing legal solutions through a legal competition design (document allowing the right to be disseminated): ” The posters aim to guide minors and their parents so that they are better protected when using social networks. We want everyone to know how to react and who to contact if they encounter online hate.“, explains Margaux Debosque-Trubert, president of the association.

24% dFamilies faced at least once with a situation of cyberharassment in 2023

The association is organizing this legal awareness poster competition for the fourth time. She wishes to make the student community actively contribute to the fight against this increasingly virulent phenomenon, and with its sometimes tragic outcome: “According to figures from the e-Enfance association, 23% of 6-18 year olds have been victims of cyberbullying and 24% of school bullying. worries Margaux Trubert, then continues “Each edition has helped to strengthen awareness around digital risks.”

Safety and mental health of minors: taking the right actions

The first three editions attracted many students. After “Who to contact, how to react in the event of online hatred?” in 2021, “What to do in the event of non-consensual distribution of intimate images” in 2022, and “Sextortion” in 2023, the association this time offers participants the opportunity to look into the theme linked to the configuration of their account on social networks to protect yourself online: ” Cyberharassment is a real scourge due to its scale and emerging practices such as cases of sextortion. This scam involves extorting money from victims through sexual blackmail. OFMIN, the competent office for combating offenses committed against minors, has recorded between 12,000 and 13,000 reports of this type in 2023. This is one of the main threats for young people on social networks or online games.“, affirms the young president who hopes that these posters will be distributed in schools and universities: ” This is the kind of information we wish we had when we were younger. For us, it’s a kind of mission that we take on, a form of societal mission. We want to actively participate in protecting others.”

ADN sans Haine counts among its valuable supporters the association e-Enfance / 3018, recognized as being of public utility, and which has been working for nearly 20 years for the protection of children on the internet and education in digital citizenship. Fr3 Paris Île-de-France is a partner of the competition.

The poster competition is open to all students in France, alone or in teams of three maximum and is accessible remotely. This year, the association is offering participants training in legal awareness and is organizing a conference on December 3 on configuration and control of the use of social networks by minors. Posters must be sent before December 20, 2024.

The members of the jury will choose two posters for their graphic and educational qualities which will then be submitted to public voting on the Internet. Everyone can vote. The message must be clear, the relevant information and its reading must be understood by a minor. Particular importance is given to legal information such as the right people to contact in the event of harassment and reference texts.

The awards ceremony will be organized in February 2025, at the Sorbonne, in partnership with France 3 Paris Ile-de-France.