UAE schools launch campaigns to combat bullying

School administrations across the UAE have launched awareness campaigns to educate students about the concept of bullying and its various forms. Through classroom discussions, assemblies, and daily advisory messages, the campaigns aim to teach students how to deal with bullies, encourage reporting, and foster mutual respect within a safe and inclusive learning environment.

Guidance sessions have been dedicated to defining bullying and its manifestations — physical, verbal, social, and suggestive — highlighting that bullying is a deliberate misuse of power that causes harm. Teachers used role-playing activities and visual examples to help students distinguish between harmless teasing and harmful behavior, emphasizing that bullying is not a passing act but a repeated attempt to hurt or dominate others by exploiting their vulnerabilities.

Sessions categorized bullying into direct and indirect forms, explaining that aggression can be physical — such as hitting, kicking, or throwing objects — or material, like hiding personal belongings. Verbal bullying includes insults, harsh criticism, or name-calling, while suggestive bullying involves threatening gestures, inappropriate signals, or deliberate exclusion.

Counselors warned that social bullying is the most damaging form, as it manipulates relationships and alliances to isolate or ostracize a student — causing long-lasting emotional harm that often exceeds physical pain. In addition to interactive sessions, schools circulated daily awareness messages through digital platforms and communication groups, encouraging kindness, respect, and zero tolerance for abuse.

Bullying in schools is an aggressive, repetitive act intended to cause physical or emotional harm. It manifests in several forms — physical (hitting or pushing), verbal (mockery or insults), social (exclusion or spreading rumors), and cyberbullying (online harassment). This behavior can lead to severe psychological and academic consequences for victims, including anxiety, depression, and poor academic performance, while bullies may develop behavioral issues that persist into adulthood. Combating bullying requires joint efforts by schools, families, and the wider community, supported by preventive and disciplinary measures.

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Bullying penalties in the UAE vary depending on the offense. They may include substantial fines, imprisonment, or both. The country enforces strict laws against cyberbullying, with fines up to AED 500,000 and imprisonment of up to two years under the UAE Cybercrime Law. In schools, penalties can reach AED 1 million or lead to the suspension or closure of the institution.

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Reporting procedures

Victims can file a criminal complaint or report the incident directly to the authorities through hotlines operated by the Ministry of Interior or the Ministry of Education.

The United Arab Emirates has established a comprehensive legal framework to protect students in educational institutions from all forms of abuse, psychological or physical violence, including bullying, neglect, and exploitation. The law stipulates that the National Policy for Child Protection in Educational Institutions obliges schools to provide a safe learning environment, appoint a Child Protection Coordinator, and implement clear reporting mechanisms through emergency hotlines operated by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Education.

The law further clarifies that federal legislation—such as Federal Decree-Law No. 18 of 2020 on Private Education, the Wadeema Law for Child Protection, and the Student Behavior Management Regulations—impose strict penalties for school-related violations. These penalties range from warnings and financial fines starting at AED 10,000 and reaching up to AED 1 million, to the suspension or immediate closure of schools. In severe cases involving proven physical, psychological, or sexual abuse of students, offenders may face imprisonment for up to one year.

The law also emphasizes that penalties are not limited to the institution itself but extend to school officials and staff members found negligent or complicit in acts such as physical punishment, food deprivation, denial of access to essential facilities, or any behavior amounting to humiliation or degradation.