Conducted by the Federal Public Prosecution through its official Twitter account.

Poll: 46.5% support intensifying penalties to curb student bullying

Bullying causes psychological effects to victims.

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An opinion poll conducted by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office on its official Twitter account on the best ways to reduce bullying among students showed that 46.5% of the respondents supported tightening penalties, 32% chose to implement awareness campaigns for students, and 17.6% chose to implement family awareness campaigns. While 3.9% saw that there are other ways to reduce student bullying.

The opinions of the observers in the survey differed, as lawyer Rashid Al-Suwaidi believed that tightening the punishment sometimes had negative effects, especially if the person got used to the punishment from a young age, and he becomes indifferent to oldness because he is accustomed to the punishment, supporting the awareness of students and parents, and in the event that bullying is issued by a student He was subjected to a special punishment considered by a psychologist.

Others agreed with him, as the follower, Talal Al Yamahi, supported the implementation of awareness campaigns for the entire family without exception, because the bullying student suffers mainly from family problems, and here is the source of the problem, as well as the follow-up Munira Salem, who called for the creation of a complete integrated program for the family, students and school.

Observer Saeed Al Shehhi saw the necessity to work with the Ministry of Interior, represented by the Community Police, by giving lectures, explaining the consequences of bullying, and implementing an aggressive campaign to educate students about the danger of bullying.

The observer, Hamid, said that the child starts learning at home, so his parents should educate him not to bully other students, and if he is bullied, he must immediately inform them of that.

Other participants suggested the presence of school policemen, as the observer, Hamed, said that the school is a community, and society is like there are police, because the school must have police, suggesting that retired or unemployed policemen be appointed inside the school, to reduce this phenomenon, and the follower Abdullah agreed with him As it was suggested that there be a security man inside each school.

The observer, Badr Al-Suwaidi, said that the punishment should be increased for the family of the bullying child, because the child is by nature impulsive and does not realize the consequences of matters, and awareness-raising for students by allocating a weekly session about that.

The observer of Bouhamad emphasized that bullying is a responsibility shared by parents with advice and guidance, the school with praise and reward, and the laws and executive bodies for it, which criminalize this phenomenon by not tolerating the implementation of punishments on the bully, and everyone is responsible to confront it and try to treat it.

Other participants suggested implementing awareness campaigns for the family first, based on the fact that children imitate adults, and that the family has a major role alongside the school in evaluating children's behavior and monitoring their behavior in front of their children to reduce bullying.

According to UNICEF, bullying is a form of violence that a child or group of children inflicts on another child, or bothering him in a deliberate and repeated manner. Bullying may take many forms such as spreading rumors, threatening, or attacking the child being bullied physically or verbally, or Isolating a child with the intent to harm or other movements and actions that occur unnoticed.

The concerned authorities in the state have implemented many initiatives to warn and raise awareness of this phenomenon, and the state has enacted a set of laws to combat the phenomenon of bullying and punish its perpetrators, as Article 21 of the Federal Penal Code No. (5) of 2012 stipulates combating information technology crimes, provided that it is punished with imprisonment for a period of time. Not less than six months, and a fine of not less than 150,000 dirhams and not exceeding 500,000 dirhams, or either of these two penalties, anyone who uses a computer network, an electronic information system, or an information technology means, to violate the privacy of a person in other than cases Legally authorized, by means including taking pictures of others, preparing electronic images, transmitting, disclosing, copying or maintaining them, and publishing news, electronic pictures, photographs, scenes, comments, data or information, even if they are true and correct.

Also, according to this article, imprisonment for a period of no less than one year and a fine of not less than 250 thousand dirhams and not exceeding 500 thousand dirhams, or one of these two penalties, shall be inflicted on whoever uses an electronic information system, or an information technology means, to make any amendment or Processing a recording, image, or scene, with the intent to defame or offend another person, or to attack or violate his privacy.

Hot line

The Ministry of Interior, represented by the Child Protection Center, has designated a hotline for receiving reports of bullying in state schools, in addition to its smart application "My Protection".

The Ministry indicated that, during the previous years, it dealt with cases of bullying among school students, and took prompt remedial and preventive measures against it, through awareness, education and communication with parents, which prevented its recurrence.

The ministry warned that there are two types of bullying, the first that occurs in the real world, when a student attacks his colleagues in school or in his surroundings, and the second is electronic bullying, when a threat or assault on the child occurs through the Internet.

• 32% of the participants chose to implement awareness campaigns for students, and 17.6% chose to implement family awareness campaigns.

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