Dubai: On June 25, a video went viral showing a boy being slapped, pushed, grabbed by the neck and threatened by a fellow pupil on a school bus.
Recently, the bullying victim was all smiles as he appeared in an Instagram post while being visited by teams from both Sharjah and Dubai Police, who gave him moral support.
He was visited by a Sharjah police team on June 27.
The delegation from the Sharjah Police General Command that visited the boy's house was headed by Colonel Ali Al-Kiki Al-Hamoudi, Director of the Eastern Region Police Department.
Col. Al Hamoudi conveyed to him the greetings of Major General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, who pays special attention to his case, wishing him safety. He also stressed the keenness of the Sharjah Police to combat negative societal phenomena and striving to curb their dangers by conducting awareness lectures on a continuous basis for students in the Emirate, especially with regard to bullying among students.
The official also pointed out the importance of the preventive aspect and the solidarity of institutions, sectors and members of society in enhancing protection for children, as work for their safety is beyond all other considerations.
It was followed by another visit — this time from the Esaad Programme Committee of the Dubai Police.
Both teams brought the boy some goodies, too.
A video of the boy at the receiving end of severe bullying while on a school bus went viral in the UAE — and drove home the rawness of this serious social menace.
The clip, taken by a bus mate, showed several boys ganging up on the victim, taking turns in hitting him, even as the boy cried in pain and humiliation.
In the video, the boy being bullied is pushed and shoved, his spectacles falling off while the perpetrator keeps repeating "Don't swear" in Arabic.
The boy shooting the video can be heard laughing as the bullying goes on for almost 90 seconds on camera.
Other boys on the bus can be seen watching the events unfold from a distance. The bullied student can also be heard saying "I didn't do anything" repeatedly.
On June 25, following the bullying incident, Sharjah Police stated that legal action had been taken against those behind the bullying incident. Five pupils were accused of bullying. The police also summoned the parents of the students involved.
Now, the victim of that incident has been visited by delegation from Dubai Police’s Esaad Programme Committee to meet and greet him and his family.
A post on Dubai Police’s official Instagram on Saturday handle states: “The delegation, headed by Mona Al Ameri, director of the Happiness Committee at Dubai Police & Lieutenant-Colonel Masoud Al Hamadi, Vice Chairman of the committee, visited the house of the boy’s family to make sure he’s safe and to provide the young boy and his family moral support.”
The visit reaffirms Dubai Police’s community role and its commitment to the protection of human rights and children.
Moreover, a study done by King’s College London that spanned five decades also found that people who had experienced severe bullying as children were more likely to smoke, drop out of college, be socially isolated and report low levels of life satisfaction.
