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UAE police launch probe as video of boy being bullied goes viral

Sharjah - The police have also summoned the boy's parents, who have lodged an official complaint.

The Sharjah Police have launched an investigation after a disturbing video of a boy being bullied on a school bus went viral on social media. A top official told Khaleej Times that they are interrogating the teachers and support staff at the boy's school in the Kalba area.
The police have also summoned the boy's parents, who have lodged an official complaint. The Ministry of Education said it was also assisting the police in the investigation.
The assailant reportedly told the police that the boy used foul language due to which he and his friends assaulted him.
The UAE has a zero tolerance policy towards bullying. Last year, the Ministry of Education had launched an anti-bullying campaign to advise students on how to act or respond if they encounter a bully or witness anyone being bullied at school, home or anywhere.
What's bullying?
It's the use of verbal or physical abuse by an individual or a group of individuals against one person, who is unable to defend him/herself because of the unequal strength between the bully and the person being bullied.
The telltale signs
Physical signs: Unjustified bruises, scratches or cuts, torn clothes or damaged belongings
School-related behaviours: Lack of desire or fear of going to school, fear of riding a school bus, low level of scholastic performance, complaining of losing his/her belongings
Psychosomatic symptoms: Uncertain pain, headache, abdominal pain, mouth ulcers
Emotional indicators: Signs of pain, unhappiness, loneliness, depression, desire to cry, stuttering, thinking of suicide
Disturbing behaviours: Nervousness and bad moods, not eating or eating too much food, inability to sleep, nightmares, crying during sleep, wetting the bed, unwillingness to talk about what is happening.
Health indicators: General stress, low performance, poor resistance to infection, recurrent diseases, threat or suicide bid
How to prevent your child from being bullied
>Enhance his/her feeling of a safe relationship with the care provider as anxiety and lack of safety during childhood can affect a child's ability to connect with the classmates later.
>Be careful when choosing and using child care centres
>Avoid the cold authoritarian relationship and over-controlling your child because it leads to acts of violence
>Do not use bullying tactics or your child will become another copy of you
>Do not be too lenient with your child
>Show feelings of empathy with others through your behaviour
What to do if your child is being bullied
>If you suspect that your child may have been bullied in school, encourage him/her to talk to you. It can be difficult for a child to talk about it, so be patient
>Don't leave the situation up to the child to fix on his/her own
>Listen to him/her with interest and empathy and try to know what is happening to him/her without pressing or questioning the child
>It is not good to talk to the bully's parent, as it is not wise to face the child who is bullying your child
>Decide if it is best to discuss the problem with the school or not, based on the severity of the bullying and the child's will to do so
What if your child is a bully?
>Deal with the situation clearly and seriously and take action to prevent it from continuing
>Try to know why your child is doing this, maybe he/she were
>Do not seek to threaten or punish your child in general, especially using physical punishment
>If the child is involved in bullying as a result of others' encouragement try to direct him to assess his own behaviour
>Show your appreciation of your child's behaviour if he sympathises with people who have been abused or harassed
>Make sure that you are not involved in bullying
> If you can't prevent the bullying, ask the school for help
>If the school tells you that your child is bullying others and ask you to come, be prepared to cooperate with the school
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com