IM'PACTES

Supporting the future of children victims of violence

In France, on average, 1 child dies every 3 days as a result of intrafamilial violence (122 children in 2020 according to the ONPE report). It is estimated that 6 to 14% of children living in France are or will be victims of violence, whether physical, psychological, sexual or linked to emotional neglect. Children who are victims of intrafamilial violence and/or neglect are cared for by the Aide Sociale à l'Enfance (ASE) “Child Welfare Services” and may be placed in institutions or foster families to ensure their protection. In 2021, 204,000 placement measures were pronounced.

In terms of care, these children require a unique expertise, due to the double trauma: that related to the violence suffered and that inherent to the sudden change of living environment. International studies highlight that if children are not quickly taken care of their physical and psychological health, they will lose 20 years of life expectancy. The IM'PACTES organization aims to promote, develop and enhance the health, education and access to culture for children, adolescents and young adults, primarily those who are victims of violence and placed by ASE.

In addition to a significant short and long-term deterioration in the health of children who are victims of violence or neglect, their education is also severely impacted, since only 13% of young people in care of the ASE obtain their middle school diploma, compared to 80% in the general population (Pégase 2019 data). 5.3% of 15-year-olds in care follow a general or technological secondary education, while this proportion is 49% for all young people of the same age, and less than 4% of these young people access higher education.

While many advances have been made in recent years, important battles remain to be fought to help these children grow well:

• Improving prevention and early detection of dangerous situations.
• Improving the physical and psychological care for children who are victims of violence.
• Ensuring every child's chances and protecting their future.

IM'PACTES aims to build an innovative and measurable approach to supporting children, stimulating their talents, and building their self-confidence and hope in the future. It undertakes the following activities:

• Reinforcing educational ambition and promoting access to culture for children aged 3 to 25 entrusted to the child welfare system.
• Creating innovative tools to improve prevention and detection of children victims of violence.
• Create a Child Support Center in each region of France to deal with the physical and psychological after-effects of children and adolescents victims of violence.

"How can we accept today that children who are victims of violence lose 20 years of life expectancy when it is possible to avoid this tragedy with early and appropriate care? How can we accept today that 13% of children in child protection obtain their middle school diploma? That only 4% pursue higher education? That over 40% of homeless youth aged 18 to 25 come from Child Welfare Services? It is for all these reasons that I created the IM’PACTES association."

– Céline Gréco, President of IM’PACTES is a talented physician-researcher specializing in pain management at Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital.
In 2013, she published "La démesure," a book about the intrafamilial violence she suffered from the age of 4 until her placement in ASE at the age of 14. Having become the voice of placed children in France, she founded IM’PACTES in 2022 to improve the health and education of children victims of violence and their professional future.