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Sharjah - Bullying could lead to psychological trauma, depression, reclusion, and even suicide in some extreme cases.

Members of Sharjah Children Parliament (SCP), aged between eight and 11, discussed the impact of bullying on children's health at the third session of the parliament's 16th cycle.
The parliament was held at the Emirates National School - Sharjah campus under the patronage of Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairperson of Rubu' Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators (Rubu' Qarn).
The third session, titled 'Let us unite as friends against bullying', discussed the role of institutions and organisations to curb bullying incidents, and highlighted the importance of raising awareness of children on the impact of bullying.
With 60 members of SCP in attendance, the session hosted Alia Al Shamisi, control expert at the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA); Hind Al Badwawi, psychological counsellor at the Judicial Department - Abu Dhabi; and Hanadi Saleh Al Yafei, director of the Sharjah Child Safety Department (CSD).
Al Shamisi said bullying is a social menace that manifests in various ways and takes many forms including verbal and social bullying, cyberbullying and physical bullying. She stressed on the need for parents and teachers to recognise the signs of bullying early on, and the need for intervention programmes in all educational institutions to act on complaints received from parents, teachers or directly from the students.
Al Yafei said: "By organising workshops on various topics related to the subject, CSD is helping advance the capabilities of children with necessary skills and strategies to build their self-esteem and empower themselves to respond appropriately to bullying instances."
Bullying could lead to psychological trauma, depression, reclusion, and even suicide in some extreme cases, said Al Badawi, calling for all stakeholders in the school and social community to play a proactive role in tiding the menace of bullying.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com