Nargish Khambatta, principal at Gems Modern Academy. Sarah Dea / The National
Nargish Khambatta, principal at Gems Modern Academy. Sarah Dea / The National
Nargish Khambatta, principal at Gems Modern Academy. Sarah Dea / The National
Nargish Khambatta, principal at Gems Modern Academy. Sarah Dea / The National

Urgent action needed to tackle Dubai school bullying problem


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DUBAI // Schools are being urged to introduce comprehensive anti-violence programmes after a study revealed that four in 10 primary and secondary pupils kick, punch, slap or use other physical force on their peers.

The study of more than 1,000 pupils in Dubai also showed that almost half of school-age children had witnessed some form of pupil-on-pupil violence. It highlighted many cases of persistent bullying, with some pupils admitting to being beaten more than three times in a month.

“There is a need to seriously address violence as an important health issue in our schools given its magnitude,” said the co-authors of the study.

“For violence interventions to be effective it must focus beyond the violent child and the victim to include peers, school staff, parents and the community.”

Dr Samineh Shaheem, assistant professor of psychology at Hult University in Dubai, said schools should be better equipped to deal with cases of violence and bullying given the high prevalence of both.

“At the moment, there is not a consistent approach – some ignore, some show empathy and compassion while others contact parents,” said Dr Shaheem, who was not involved in the study. “This creates a situation of uncertainty, randomness and insecurity among our children.”

She said a consistent process for dealing with various types of bullying and aggression needed to be “communicated to and adopted by all” schools in accordance with one framework.

She added: “This way, educators know what to do and how to respond when incidents occur.”

The short-term mental health effects of school violence include depression, anxiety that can become debilitating, school phobia, low self-esteem, withdrawal, social isolation, and plummeting academic performance.

“Too many people look at bullying as ‘something all kids do’ or even as a rite of passage,” said Beth Ann Rupp, an educational consultant working in Abu Dhabi, who said the results were “disturbing but not surprising”.

"It's neither of those things," said Ms Rupp, co-author of The Last Boys Picked: Helping Boys Who Don't Play Sports Survive Boyhood and Bullying.

“In its worst form, it is an exploitive expression of power with the intent to hurt, shame, or otherwise diminish another human being.”

Global and local trends, she said, show children and teenagers are becoming more accustomed to seeing acts of violence in common culture and can mirror these actions against one another in school, on the school bus, and in the locker rooms.

While anti-violence measures in schools could work to stop a bully’s behaviour, more is needed to address the root of the problem, said Ms Rupp, of EduEval, a consultancy in Dubai.

“Bullying is not only a behaviour problem; it is can be a moral problem,” she said. It can be a desperate need for control, an unwillingness to yield to anyone perceived as inferior, or from a lack of empathy.

“This is so much bigger than just behaviour, and because of that, the solution requires a different plan and different remedial strategies,” she said.

Nargish Khambatta, principal at Gems Modern Academy, thought the results were “very surprising” and said there should be a clear distinction between “horsing around and playing a bit roughly” and serious bullying.

“The difference between the two is sometimes blurred,” she said. “Serious bullying should be dealt with firmly and there should be zero tolerance to it.”

A good in-house counsellor should be one of the primary measures in preventing school violence, she said.

“Students carry a lot of emotional baggage and it is essential to understand why they are behaving the way they do. Effective counselling can help provide excellent intervention strategies.”

jbell@thenational.ae

More on bullying:

Cost of treating injured private schoolchildren in Dubai tops Dh900,000 a year

Parents should get to know children

Opening weekend Premier League fixtures

Weekend of August 10-13

Arsenal v Manchester City

Bournemouth v Cardiff City

Fulham v Crystal Palace

Huddersfield Town v Chelsea

Liverpool v West Ham United

Manchester United v Leicester City

Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur

Southampton v Burnley

Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton

Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:

Juventus 1 Ajax 2

Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

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Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule

1st Test July 26-30 in Galle

2nd Test August 3-7 in Colombo

3rd Test August 12-16 in Pallekele

Baby Driver

Director: Edgar Wright

Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James

Three and a half stars

Arrogate's winning run

1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016

2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016

3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016

4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016

5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016

6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017

7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017

Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.

Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.

Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.

Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.

Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.

Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.

Racecard

5.25pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m

6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m

6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m

7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m

7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m

8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m

8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m

9.30pm: Coins Museum – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m

10.05pm: Al Quoz Creative – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Opening Rugby Championship fixtures:Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)

Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)

Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)

IF YOU GO

The flights

FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.

The tours

English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people. 

The hotels

Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.

St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.