Hundreds of children in Fujairah learn about how to spot and report abuse

Fujairah youngsters learn how to identify, prevent and report all types of abuse, and pass on the lessons to their parents.

Al Bahar School pupils were among 400 Fujairah youngsters who learnt from the anti-abuse campaign. Pawan Singh / The National

FUJAIRAH // Four hundred school pupils learnt to sharpen their defences against abuse as part of an information campaign for families.

The Ministry of Community Development, in collaboration with Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, launched the drive, which helps pupils aged four to 12 to teach themselves and their parents how to identify, prevent and report verbal, physical or sexual abuse.

The three-day Protect Childhood It’s Precious campaign, which began on Tuesday, drew more than two dozen parents to Fujairah City on Wednesday.

“It’s a very important topic and many of us don’t know how to detect it and protect our children,” said Fatima Al Kaabi, 30, an Emirati mother of two.

“The lecture was helpful as we discussed the signs that tells us if our kids are going through any kind of abuse, especially sexual, as it will affect their psychological well-being and health.”

Ms Al Kaabi was there with 25 other mothers to get tips on how to identify and prevent abuse that might arm her 4-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy.

“I didn’t know that I can talk to them about such subject as they are small. Now I know that it’s very important to make them aware of it and teach them how to protect themselves,” she said.

“Now I’m fully aware and can monitor them better as signs of abuse may occur, such as sleeping and appetite disorders, or sudden changes in their behaviour like aggression and fear.”

Another parent said she was surprised to learn that negligence is considered abuse.

“I knew that child abuse has many forms, but I didn’t know that neglecting the child’s needs would be a form of abuse. I believe that many parents should attend such workshops as it’s very useful and can result in saving a child’s life and protect them from being abused,” said Mosa Al Malahi, 45, an Emirati mother of eight.

“They also talked about women’s rights and that they should report physical or verbal abuse to the foundation, and they can provide shelter. I didn’t know that there were such services in the country, and this will help some women that I know.”

Mariam Amer, a 9-year-old Emirati pupil at Al Shoulaa School, attended a session called You Are A Princess and another called The Good and the Bad Touch.

“Hitting, insulting and inappropriate touches can affect us and we shouldn’t accept it and directly report it to our parents or the teacher,” said Mariam.

“They told us about safe places like home and school and the police station, also about what to do if we get lost and the number to call if we want to report any incident.”

The Dubai Foundation for Women and Children was the first licensed, non-profit shelter in the UAE. It was established in 2007 to offer immediate protection and support services against domestic violence, child abuse and human trafficking.

“We have a specialised team to deal with all kinds of abuse on children or women,” said Ghaya Al Habtour, the foundation’s marketing executive. “We organise campaigns to spread awareness and provide shelter for those who need it.”

“Our facility can accommodate about 100 women and 10 children, and we are working on expanding it to fit 50 children.

“This is the eighth edition of the campaign, and this year we decided to visit other emirates like Fujairah and Ajman.”

For more information about the topic and the foundation, visit www.dfwac.ae, or phone the helpline on 800111.