(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Community council by Ministry of Interior suggests ways to improve student behaviour
Community council meeting in progress at the house of Shaikh Khalid Bakhit bin Tannaf Al Menhali in Bani Yas. — Supplied photo
Abu Dhabi — Citizens participating at a community council meeting held by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) at the house of Sheikh Khalid Bakhit bin Tannaf Al Menhali in Bani Yas highlighted the importance of starting parents’ councils in schools to address issues like violence on campus.
These councils will address student issues and help prevent violence. Participants also agreed that students should be able to communicate their problems to these councils directly; supervision should be intensified on school buses; and the curricula should be expanded to include topics related to respecting the law and dealing with others who may be bad influences.
During the council meeting which is held as part of the strategic plans of the Law Respect Culture Bureau at the ministry participants said addressing the issues related to school violence is a shared responsibility amongst all community segments. Such issues could be resolved through joint efforts made to reach both students and their families and raise awareness via lectures seminars various competitions and initiatives. These efforts aim to both instil positive behaviour in students and introduce parents to the dangers and negative effects caused by family problems and how they affect a child’s attitude.
The council discussed school violence in detail and how it affects students. It reviewed the causes and conditions that encourage some students to resort to violence and various means of treatment and prevention.
Lt-Colonel Obaid Rashid Al Mughni Chief of Community Affairs at the Abu Dhabi Police’s Social Support Centres Department noted that violence is not limited to physical abuse but it can also include other forms that could be more dangerous. The danger is there are no definitive signs of such abuse and that most victims do not complain or ask for help.
“Many students are subjected to verbal violence when they are humiliated or ridiculed by their peers” he said. “Imbedded insult is more effective and dangerous than direct insults.”
Lt-Colonel Al Mughni listed a number of other forms of violence including psychological violence. “This form of violence is a type of bullying. A weaker student is subjugated by a stronger one and is then ridiculed by the group” he explained.
“Social violence leads the student to feel inferior to others and he will consequently not feel like he fits in with his peers.”
Lt-Colonel Al Mughni also pointed out the ministry’s efforts to curb all sorts of violence through the Social Support Centres that provide comprehensive care and education to juveniles to alter their behaviour. These centres also foster the skills of positive communication when dealing with others. Form instance the Khalifa Student Empowerment Programme launched a number of games and activities for the young generation with the aim of raising awareness and instilling positive and ethical values and morals.
The council meeting was moderated by Munther Al Muzaki presenter for Abu Dhabi Media and from the Media and Public Relations Department at the Ras Al Khaimah Police General Headquarters. He stressed the importance of discussing school violence and in strengthening social responsibility to counter this scourge.
Parents attending the council said such council meetings are a good step towards fostering communication between the police institution and all members of society. In these meetings social issues are discussed and opinions are exchanged to resolve such issues through cooperation and shared responsibility.
Sheikh Khalid Bakhit bin Tannaf Al Menhali proposed the setting up of parents’ committees in schools to amicably address problems that may occur between students and urge students to handle these situations with respect. He also highlighted the importance of strengthening community responsibility in this regard to support any effort aimed at eradicating violence and creating suitable conditions for academic excellence and innovation for students.
Captain Ahmed Ateeq Al Afrit Manager of the Investigation and Coordination Branch at the ministry’s Child Protection Centre highlighted that education is a fundamental pillar for instilling values ethics and respect within the youth. “Positive communication and interaction within the school environment will curb the violence” he said.
“We must eradicate all sorts of physical and psychological violence from our homes so that it doesn’t automatically transfer to schools. It is also the responsibility of schools to persistently communicate with families to eliminate violence besides organising programmes that enhance cultural values and psychological support among students. Social workers and psychologists should also be present in schools to teach students on dealing with their problems before they develop into violent behaviour” he said.
Citizens Mohsen Al Menhali Mabkhout Bakhit Tannaf Omar Thabit Al Menhali and Tannaf Ayda Al Menhali proposed highlighted the importance of communication between the school and parents who must be informed about improper behaviour and actions of their children and educating school administrators to control such actions of students in schools.
Educational advisor Abdurrahman Wissal Al Abdullah urged parents to spare children from domestic problems and brawls that lead to name-calling or beatings as these affect the psyche of the child who then imitates and applies the violence he has witnessed at home on his peers in school and society. “It is primarily the responsibility of the family and schools to address violent behaviour. However society as a whole is also responsible in countering school violence” he said.
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