Bullied children a neglected issue in UAE

In the UAE, children from different communities study together, which can cause friction.

ABU DHABI // Bullying of children by their peers is a neglected issue in the UAE, with little research from academics and parents who fail to recognise symptoms.

“There is a lack of statistics and research on this subject,” said Dr Dolly Habbal, a clinical psychologist at Gulf Diagnostic Centre who works with bullied children.

“In the UAE, kids from different communities study together in schools and some children perceive others as different. Schools and communities should teach to respect diversity and help protect children against bullying behaviour.”

There is a need for more research in the Arab world about the signs and consequences of school bullying, as well as national policies and anti-bullying initiatives at schools, according to a study published in The Arab Journal of Psychiatry in 2013.

The nature of bullying is evolving, although few children or parents report incidents, experts said. “I am not aware of any recent research on bullying in the UAE. The form of bullying taking place now differs from the kind that children suffered 10 years ago,” said Elmarie van Heerden, a personal development trainer for LifeWorks Dubai.

"Bullying is now also done via the use of mobiles and other electronic media. Many children use information disclosed to them in secret to bully. And the information reaches a much wider social circle than just the immediate playgrounds."

One issue is the fear of retaliation. Ms van Heerden said the extent of such bullying was unclear because young children usually confided in their parents, while teenagers confided in their peers.

“Kids in the UAE are very aware of the transient life they live,” she said. “Many children complain about the loss of good friends and find it very difficult to form new friendships, especially when social groups are already well defined and closed. To be excluded from a group is also a form of bullying.”

Dr Fadia Al Buhairan, vice president of the Arab Coalition for Adolescent Health and an assistant professor of paediatrics and adolescent medicine, said the emotional and psychological impact of bullying had not received much attention in the Arab world.

“The awareness is now on the rise. Too many times, when a child brings up something like this, parents brush the topic away,” she said.

“Or they say things like, ‘it’s just kids playing’ or even telling them to fight back. A good relationship with the parents acts as protection because they can talk to them about the issue.”