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Schoolchildren must be offered counselling to ensure they are not traumatised by exposure to the Israel-Gaza war, leading experts have said.
Heads of schools and mental health experts have spoken of the long-term effects of being exposed to violent photos and videos.
In response to the continuing conflict, schools in the UAE are organising assemblies, counselling sessions and direct check-ins with pupils to make sure young people have access to the support they need.
Principal at Gems Modern Academy
“Counsellors did direct check-ins with all students to determine the level of support needed,” said Monique Flickinger, superintendent at the American Community School of Abu Dhabi.
“Specific students have attended multiple sessions with their counsellors.”
The school started the week with a short assembly reviewing the importance of community.
“We all reconnected and voiced how caring for each other makes a healthier and stronger community,” said Ms Flickinger.
“It was important that we reiterate our core values of compassion and integrity in everything that we do and that our counsellors would be available for each and every one of them.
“It could be as simple as a quick check-in or more as needed. We definitely had a group of students that wanted a little extra help.”
Difficulty in processing emotions
Nargish Khambatta, principal at Gems Modern Academy, said the school had held a circle time in which children were taught how to process their emotions.
“My problem is the desensitisation as they are seeing so much around them,” said Ms Khambatta.
“The worry is that in their young brains, they might tend to normalise this, which is a bigger worry for us.
“These are citizens of tomorrow – they're going to go out and be the decision makers, and they're the ones who are going to create the impact.
“If they're hearing different and polarising comments, they should be able to make a sense of it. Wherever they're hearing polarising comments, we tell them to pause and put on their rational hats and think. We teach them to use the lens of humanity.”
The school has a counselling team that is on call 24/7, while teachers are the first point of contact for those who want extra help.
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From left: Pupils Malek Zuhdi, Masa Oklah, Marlee Mapstone and Aspen Murray take part in the aid collection campaign for Gaza, at the American Community School of Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Schools in the UAE are hosting voluntary events for pupils to give to families in Gaza. Victor Besa / The National -
Eighth-year pupil Masa Oklah, and Aspen Murray, who is in the third year, during the aid collection drive for Gaza at the American Community School of Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Pupils at the school are donating essentials such as such as diapers, toothpaste, soap and shampoo. Victor Besa / The National -
Some of the goods donated by pupils and their families at American Community School of Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Marlee Mapstone, who is in the seventh year, takes part in the aid collection drive. Victor Besa / The National
Yaseen Aslam, medical director at the Psychiatry and Therapy Centre in Dubai, explained that images of conflict and war can trigger a range of powerful emotions in adults, and the effect is even greater in children.
“These emotions and reactions to war and conflict can be influenced by the child's age, as older children can be anxious, sad, depressed and disturbed by the images [while] younger children, if they're exposed to these kinds of images … they can feel a bit more clingy or they're not their usual selves,” Dr Aslam said.
“It's important to allow children to express their emotions and to also reassure them and validate their emotions, that's the important thing that parents have to give their children space and the time to process emotions in a non-judgmental manner.
“One of the problems is that if we don't support children, and allow them to validate their feelings and support them emotionally in the right way during these kinds of conflicts, they may go on to repress certain traumatic and distressing images and feelings, which can cause problems later on, in terms of post-traumatic stress reactions.
“The post-traumatic stress reactions can also create anxiety, phobias and depressive illnesses later on, which can affect the emotional and psychological development of the child. It's important to validate their feelings and allow them to process these feelings in a psychologically correct manner.”
He said it was an opportunity for schools to create opportunities in the classroom and to allow children to process their feelings, while offering access to any counselling services that they may have in the school.
This was especially vital for children from families who are more directly connected to the conflict.
“Some of the images we come across are very, very graphic, quite disturbing and these things can have an overwhelming effect on a child and can create a lot of trauma,” Dr Aslam said.
He called on parents to limit exposure in an age-appropriate manner, keeping in mind the developmental stage of the child.
Dr Aslam added that parents could help children by including them in acts of charity or volunteering, while also talking about what charity is and how to support those who are less fortunate.
The latest from the Israel-Gaza war – in pictures
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Palestinians check the damage at the site of Israeli strikes on houses in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters -
Israeli soldiers and military vehicles near the border with Gaza. EPA -
Palestinians injured in Israeli air raids arrive at Nasser Medical Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. Getty Images -
Protesters call for a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas since the October 7 attack. AFP -
The protest was held near the headquarters of the Israeli Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv. AFP -
Smoke and flames rise from buildings after an Israeli strike on Gaza City. AFP -
Destruction in Gaza City after an Israeli air strike. AFP -
A wounded Palestinian is taken into Al Shifa hospital after Israeli air strikes on Gaza City. AP -
Israelis at a cemetery in Holon during a funeral take cover as a siren warns of incoming rockets fired from the Gaza Strip. AP -
Posters of hostages abducted by Hamas form part of an installation consisting of 224 light pillars erected by the Jerusalem municipality outside Teddy Stadium. AFP -
Supporters of Palestine hold a rally in New York's financial district to demand that American financial institutions stop financing weapons manufacturing. AFP -
Army rescue crews assess the damage after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a building in Rishon LeTsiyon, Israel. Getty Images -
Israeli strikes as seen from a tent camp sheltering displaced Palestinians. Reuters -
Israeli armoured vehicles take part in an operation, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, at a location given as the northern Gaza Strip. Reuters -
A Palestinian man is comforted as he mourns the death of his daughter and his wife, who were killed by Israeli strikes. Reuters -
Satellite view of damaged areas in the Beit Hanoun district of Gaza as a result of fighting between Israel and Hamas. Reuters -
Beit Hanoun was hit by Israeli missiles. Reuters -
Two brothers on a stretcher after being rescued from beneath the rubble of a destroyed area in Gaza. EPA -
Israeli security forces gather along a cordoned-off street where an apartment building was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza, in Rishon LeZion, near Tel Aviv. AFP -
Rescuers in front of an apartment building hit by a rocket in the Israeli city of Rishon LeZion. AFP -
Red Crescent Society employees and volunteers handle humanitarian aid bound for Gaza at a warehouse in Arish, Egypt. EPA -
Men lower one of the coffins during the funeral of British-Israelis Lianne Sharabi and her daughters Noiya Sharabi, 16, and Yahel Sharabi, 13, in Kfar Harif, Israel. EPA -
An Israeli soldier in a ruined house in the kibbutz of Beeri, near the border with Gaza. EPA -
The aftermath of wide-scale strikes, which Israel says struck Hamas emergency operational apparatus, including war rooms, infrastructure and military headquarters, in Gaza. Reuters -
Palestinians search for casualties after Israeli attacks on houses in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters -
Rescuers look for casualties in Khan Younis. Reuters -
Palestinian Ali Daba and his wife have separated their children and given them bracelets to help identify them in case they are killed in Israeli strikes. Their daughter shows her bracelet at their shelter in Khan Younis. Reuters -
In Tel Aviv, teddy bears with their eyes covered and signs of injury go on show to highlight the young children and babies missing, believed to be being held by Hamas. Getty -
Palestinians near the rubble of a building following overnight Israeli strikes on the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP -
Members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society distribute aid in Deir Al Balah, in the Gaza Strip. Reuters -
Pro-Israel, left, and pro-Palestine protesters face off during a demonstration in reaction to the Gaza conflict, in central Atlanta, Georgia. EPA -
Orit Meir, the mother of Almog Meir Jan who was taken hostage by Hamas while attending the Nova festival in Israel, at the family's home in Or Yehuda. Reuters -
A soldier puts on protective gear in Ramle, Israel, as he prepares to identify those killed by Hamas during the October 7 attack. Getty Images -
Palestinians wounded in Israeli air strikes arrive at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. Getty Images -
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, centre, speaks with the father of one of the hostages held by Hamas, before a UN Security Council meeting in New York. EPA -
French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attend a meeting in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. EPA -
Survivors of Israel's bombardment of Gaza being treated at a trauma ward at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. AFP -
Smoke rises after an air strike on Gaza, as seen from southern Israel. Reuters -
A woman holds placards identifying one of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas during a demonstration in Tel Aviv. AFP
