CAMPAIGN ON BULLYING SETS SIGHTS ON RAISING AWARENESS
▶ Workshops will be held for more than 1,000 children across the UAE
A new anti-bullying initiative aims to raise awareness of the issue among schoolchildren and teachers across the country.
Organisers said the campaign would run special workshops staffed by child psychologists to educate age groups most at risk.
Launched by the Cartoon Network Middle East, officials said they hoped the initiative would promote an atmosphere of “friendship and kindness” among children.
The project will focus on children aged between five and 12, with sessions for more than 1,000 pupils across the country next month.
Speaking to The National, Carolyn Yaffe, a cognitive behaviour therapist at Camali Clinic in Dubai, said she welcomed the move.
“Pupils should be taught about what bullying is as part of the curriculum. They need to be able to identify bullying language and action,” she said.
“Education around bullying is very important, not only for the children but for teachers, administrators and staff.
“Any adult who works in a school should know what bullying is and what it looks like.”
Cartoon Network Mena is a digital children’s TV channel that broadcasts animated programmes to about 60 million households across the region.
Officials said their new campaign – called CN Buddy Network – would provide practical ways to counter intimidation and harassment.
“Being bullied is a very scary experience for young people,” Ms Yaffe said. “Children feel that if they tell someone, they will become the victim.
“It’s important for schools to develop strategies for children to report bullying. Pupils often hide the fact they are being bullied because they feel frightened and embarrassed.”
According to a recent Cartoon Network survey, half of UAE parents with children aged between six and 12 were aware their children had suffered bullying.
A 2018 poll of more than 64,000 Dubai pupils by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, the emirate’s private school regulator, also found 11 per cent of children did not feel safe at school.
Sara Hedger, head of safeguarding and child protection at Gems Education schools in the UAE, said some of their schools would be taking part in the initiative.
Ms Hedger said Gems had a safeguarding strategy “woven into our curriculum”.
“Our focus is on prevention. How can we help children make good choices? We are looking to embed this in schools across the group,” she said. “Embedding that message and hearing it from different people in different ways helps children to make sense of things.”
Darine El Khatib, senior director at WarnerMedia, which owns Cartoon Network, said: “Bullying has become a widespread global concern, with more and more children becoming vulnerable to this behaviour in different ways.
“Because 2019 is the Year of Tolerance in the UAE, we have decided to launch the Buddy Network campaign for the first time in the Middle East, starting with the UAE.
“We hope this campaign will raise awareness of this sensitive topic through promoting friendship and kindness, and educate children and parents about the effects of bullying.”