This Dubai Mom Has A Crucial Back-To-School Anti-Bullying Message
With students getting ready to return to school, a Dubai mother’s heartfelt message highlights the urgent importance of creating a safe and inclusive environment to stop the harm caused by bullying.
Houda, a mom-of-two, took Instagram to highlight an important back-to-school anti-bullying message for the community
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Houda, also known as @dubaimumdiaries on Instagram, stressed the essential role parents play in teaching their children kindness and compassion towards others.
She said,
Everyone can be different. And if they’re different, they don’t need to be insulted, shamed, or made fun of just because they’re not like everyone else. Please tell your kids that if they see students sitting alone, they should invite them, it will mean a lot to them.
This video stemmed from Houda’s daughter facing bullying and isolation in school, sparking a heartfelt call to action
Houda shared that her daughter would return from school in tears consistently, and witnessing the extent of her pain was an immense emotional burden for a mother to bear.
Fortunately, her daughter has been relocated to a different class – one Houda describes as “the class with the best students.” With optimism, she envisions a setting where students prioritize their studies over bullying. Houda remains committed; if this path proves otherwise, she promised to explore other schools, though she acknowledges this to be a challenging decision.
85% of children have been bullied in the UAE
A popular children’s channel, Cartoon Network, conducted a survey in 2019 that revealed that 85 per cent of school children in the UAE have been bullied – a majority of the harassment taking place online. Moreover, most bullying (42 per cent) happens online, followed by outside school (40 per cent) and the least in school (39 per cent).
What can you do to report bullying in school?
- You can call the KHDA directly on +971 4 364 0000 or call the toll-free number, 800 KHDA (800 5432).
- In extreme cases – and not necessarily related to bullying – the UAE’s MoE has a ‘Child Protection Unit’ for the benefit of students of government and private schools across the UAE (or via the Hemayati smart phone application).
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