‘The first approach has been to stop bullying in the school years,’ says developmental psychologist Ron Slaby. Courtesy The Salama Foundation
‘The first approach has been to stop bullying in the school years,’ says developmental psychologist Ron Slaby. Courtesy The Salama Foundation
‘The first approach has been to stop bullying in the school years,’ says developmental psychologist Ron Slaby. Courtesy The Salama Foundation
‘The first approach has been to stop bullying in the school years,’ says developmental psychologist Ron Slaby. Courtesy The Salama Foundation

Bullying at age 4 has experts looking to preventative measures


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

ABU DHABI // Children as young as 4 are being bullied and more needs to be done to teach young people empathy and anger management, experts say.

Dr Haneen Jarrar, a psychologist at Camali Clinic in Dubai, believes “pre-bullying”, or behaviour that might lead to bullying, is a big problem and that preventative measures at an early age could stop it worsening in later years.

“We see bullying and pre-bullying in many countries, but in Dubai we see a very high rate of such cases,” Dr Jarrar said. “There are a lot of newcomers coming to the schools and bullies pick on someone who is different.

“We see bullying from the age of 7 and we see bullying in preschool or in school buses.”

The ages of 3 to 7 are formative years, so if children are bullied at this age they can suffer from problems such as anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts later in life, said Dr Jarrar.

Manal, an Emirati, said her eight-year-old son was nearly drowned by a bully in his class.

“My son was 8 at that time and he was tiny for his age. There was a boy making fun of him all the time. He did not want to go to school,” the mother of four said.

The boy did not tell his parents he was being bullied, she said. “He kept asking me, ‘Mum, why am I short?’”

When Manal, who works in a hospital, told the class teacher about what was happening, the teacher separated the bully from Manal’s son, but the bullying did not stop.

After the bully tried to drown her son in a swimming pool, Manal went to the principal and told him he must act. But he told her that she should raise her son’s self-esteem.

“Schools have to notice if a child is a bully and keep them busy and give them responsibility,” she said.

Dr Jarrar said parents needed to watch for behavioural changes that bullied children show, such as a reluctance to go to school, anxiety about separation from parents, low self-confidence and self-esteem, and a drop in appetite.

Dr Ron Slaby and Dr Kim Storey recently visited the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation in Abu Dhabi to discuss bullying in early childhood. Dr Slaby is a developmental psychologist at the Boston Children’s Hospital and Dr Storey is a child development specialist.

“We’re focusing on this age group because this offers one of the best opportunities that parents and teachers have to help children prevent bullying before it starts,” Dr Slaby said. “This is one of the newest topics that is being considered worldwide.”

Bullying could easily escalate into violence or threats of violence if not checked, he said.

“Teasing can become taunting, nicknaming can become name-calling, laughing with someone can become laughing at someone and bossing can become coercion and threatening,” Dr Slaby said.

“The first approach has been to stop bullying in the school years. To prevent bullying, we have to look earlier. The field is looking more and more at prevention.”

He suggested that parents tell children about their own experiences with bullying to help them talk about it.

Data from US studies show that 20 per cent of children between the ages of 2 and 5 have experienced physical bullying, while 14 per cent experienced verbal bullying.

Dr Storey said talking to young children at home or at preschool about bullying was a new strategy.

“We are just beginning to understand that the best way to prevent bullying is to start in the early years,” she said.

“Work with children and help them to develop their social skills so that they know how to stand up to bullying before it starts and before it escalates.”

arizvi2@thenational.ae

Three ways to get a gratitude glow

By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.

  • During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
  • As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
  • In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

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Essentials

The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes. 
 

Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes. 


In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes. 
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.

Three tips from La Perle's performers

1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.

2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.

3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS

2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,000m
Winner: AF Mozhell, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)

2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Majdi, Szczepan Mazur, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: AF Athabeh, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.

3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: AF Eshaar, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi

4pm: Gulf Cup presented by Longines Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Al Roba’a Al Khali, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Younis Al Kalbani

4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Apolo Kid, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muahiri

While you're here

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Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan

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South and West: From a Notebook
Joan Didion
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'Project Power'

Stars: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback

Director: ​Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman

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UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5