Most parents in the UAE favour striking their children when necessary. However, a minority consider corporal punishment a form of domestic violence, a survey has found.
The poll, conducted for Al Aan TV's Nabd al Arab (Arabs' Pulse) programme and carried out by YouGov Siraj, found that more than half (53pc) of the 770 respondents agreed that parents should have the right to discipline their children - including through physical punishment.
But there was a clear discrepancy between nationalities in the reasoning behind it. More than half of westerners (51pc) favoured corporal punishment, with 48 per cent saying it was the parents' right to discipline their children in the way they saw fit.
While a similar number of Emiratis (50pc) backed spanking, 48 per cent said they did so because they knew what was best for their children. Slightly more Arab expatriates (59pc) supported physical punishment - but in this group the most common reason (51pc) was that big mistakes deserve big punishments.
Of the residents who opposed corporal punishment, most said it caused physical and emotional harm (53pc) to children. Others (43pc) said it had a negative effect on a child's behaviour and delivered the wrong message to the child (44pc).
One in five (21pc) said it was a form of domestic violence, and one in 10 labelled it "backward".
Umm Theyab, from Al Ain, said she did not punish her three children physically. "The right thing is to talk to them - use their brains, don't hit them," she said.
"At the end of the day, they will not understand. Hitting is a form of aggression. Parents should sit with a child and talk to him. He will understand. Hitting them would weaken their personality."
There were striking differences on who should be able to administer the punishment. Eighty-four per cent said teachers could discipline children, and nearly half (44pc) said nannies and maids could do so. But the figure was far lower (16pc) among Emiratis.
Dr Osama al Mossa, a behavioural psychologist, said teachers should have the right to discipline children in extreme cases. But he drew the line at physical punishment.
"The teacher is also a mother," he said. "The teacher is responsible for the child, and in severe cases can give a small punishment, but never hit a child. If the child is out of control, they can tell the parents."
More than half (52pc) of respondents said shouting at children was the best way for a teacher to keep them in line.
One in three (32pc) was happy for a teacher to strike their child, even with an object such as a ruler. Hardly anyone in either group - western or Emirati - thought it acceptable for a teacher to slap a child in the face or swear at them (both 7pc).
Discipline by maids was an entirely different matter, according to Dr al Mossa.
"It is the biggest problem in a lot of families - they let the maids raise the children," he said. "Even if it says 'nanny' on her CV, she cannot be let to discipline children. It is a crime."
Dana Shadid, a producer on Nabd al Arab, said she was surprised by the findings.
"It seems that large numbers of parents do not mind the child being hit or beaten at school - it is a frightening number," she said. "This shows that some parents just want the burden to come off their shoulders. Love and respect start at home, before they go to school."
Ms Theyab said teachers here were too quick to punish children, and recalled an incident when her son, Ahmed, was slapped in the face by a teacher. "He came out crying and it was horrible. It weakened his personality. A child that young, what will a slap teach him?"
Dr al Mossa said children should never be hit on the face or other sensitive areas.
"Parents should not hit a child except in extreme cases - either they did not listen to advice, or they did something bad, or to generate a little fear in the child, but it should only be a small hit on the hand," he said.
"Punishments, like depriving the child of the PlayStation, or other things he likes, would be better."
Elizabeth Tonner, a Scottish mother who lives in Abu Dhabi, said it was natural for views on upbringing to differ between families. "It is up to each individual family ... but it should be the parents' role," she said.
"I think in families that are keen on upbringing, whether [western] expats, Arabs, or the Asian community, they would all in the end have their child's best interest at heart."
* Nabd al Arab airs on Al Aan TV at 8pm tonight
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Company%20Profile
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Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m; Winner: Mcmanaman, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Bawaasil, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Bochart, Fabrice Veron, Satish Seemar
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Mutaraffa, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Rare Ninja, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alfareeq, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Zorion, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
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Fight card
1. Featherweight 66kg: Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)
2. Lightweight 70kg: Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)
3. Welterweight 77kg:Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)
4. Lightweight 70kg: Omar Ramadan (EGY) v Abdimitalipov Atabek (KGZ)
5. Featherweight 66kg: Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)
6. Catchweight 85kg: Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) v Iuri Fraga (BRA)
7. Featherweight 66kg: Yousef Al Husani (UAE) v Mohamed Allam (EGY)
8. Catchweight 73kg: Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Ahmed Abdelraouf of Egypt (EGY)
9. Featherweight 66kg: Jaures Dea (CMR) v Andre Pinheiro (BRA)
10. Catchweight 90kg: Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
The%20Hunger%20Games%3A%20The%20Ballad%20of%20Songbirds%20%26%20Snakes
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Most match wins on clay
Guillermo Vilas - 659
Manuel Orantes - 501
Thomas Muster - 422
Rafael Nadal - 399 *
Jose Higueras - 378
Eddie Dibbs - 370
Ilie Nastase - 338
Carlos Moya - 337
Ivan Lendl - 329
Andres Gomez - 322
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
Company%20Profile
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'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5