Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 15551, United Arab Emirates.
Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Oct 31;24(1):3025. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-20392-1.
Despite the implementation of antibullying policies, schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) witnessed an increase in bullying prevalence. The aim of our study was to assess bullying victimization in schools in the UAE, types of bullying, and factors and outcomes related to bullying behavior.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted in randomly selected private and public schools in Al Ain City. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from students in grades 6-8 (Ages 10-15). We adapted the US CDC 'Bully Survey' for cultural relevance in the UAE through feedback from focus group meetings with teachers. Data analysis, conducted using R software, involved stratified analysis by school type and utilized Chi-Squared and Fisher's exact tests to identify factors associated with school bullying.
The study sample consisted of 723 students of whom 68% were males, and 58% were Emirati nationals. The overall prevalence of bullying victimization in schools was 37%, with 40% in private schools and 35% in public schools. Cyberbullying was more prevalent in private schools (37%). Physical bullying was reported by 20% and verbal bullying by 12%, with a higher prevalence of physical bullying in private schools (24%) and among males (23%). The study's findings showed significant emotional and academic impacts of bullying, including feelings of sadness and learning difficulties, contributing to a rise in school absenteeism.
The study reveals widespread bullying victimization in UAE schools, mainly in classrooms, with group exclusion and verbal abuse as key forms. It underscores bullying's psychological impact and the greater awareness of parents compared to teachers. The effective intervention strategies should not only involve students, teachers, and school staff, but also actively engage parents by fostering stronger communication channels between schools and families, and providing parents with resources and training to recognize and address bullying. These strategies should aim to create a cohesive network involving the entire school community, thus fostering a safer and more inclusive environment for students. The findings stress the need for inclusive antibullying programs involving the entire school community to foster a safer environment.
尽管阿联酋（UAE）实施了反欺凌政策，但学校的欺凌现象仍呈上升趋势。我们的研究旨在评估阿联酋学校的欺凌受害情况、欺凌类型以及与欺凌行为相关的因素和结果。
在艾因市的随机私立和公立学校进行了横断面调查。使用结构自填问卷从 6-8 年级（10-15 岁）学生中收集数据。我们通过与教师的焦点小组会议，对美国疾病控制与预防中心的“欺凌调查”进行了文化适应性调整。使用 R 软件进行数据分析，按学校类型进行分层分析，并利用卡方检验和 Fisher 精确检验来确定与学校欺凌相关的因素。
研究样本包括 723 名学生，其中 68%为男性，58%为阿联酋国民。学校欺凌受害总体发生率为 37%，私立学校为 40%，公立学校为 35%。网络欺凌在私立学校更为普遍（37%）。报告的身体欺凌发生率为 20%，言语欺凌发生率为 12%，私立学校的身体欺凌发生率较高（24%），男生发生率较高（23%）。研究结果表明，欺凌行为对学生的情绪和学业有显著影响，包括感到悲伤和学习困难，这导致了学校缺勤率的上升。
该研究揭示了阿联酋学校普遍存在的欺凌受害现象，主要发生在教室中，群体排斥和言语辱骂是主要形式。它强调了欺凌行为的心理影响，以及家长比教师有更高的认识。有效的干预策略不仅应涉及学生、教师和学校工作人员，还应积极让家长参与，通过加强学校与家庭之间的沟通渠道，并为家长提供资源和培训，以识别和解决欺凌问题。这些策略旨在创建一个包括整个学校社区的紧密网络，从而为学生创造一个更安全、更包容的环境。研究结果强调需要制定包括整个学校社区在内的包容反欺凌计划，以营造更安全的环境。
