Cyberbullying is a global phenomenon that shows no sign of being contained. Even though no official statistics are available for the UAE, anecdotal evidence, as well as the fact that the country has one of the world’s highest internet and mobile penetration levels, suggests that this form of abuse does exist and is prevalent here. Young children and adults in the UAE and beyond, as The National reports, are regularly exposed to online cruelty.
What makes cyberbullying so concerning is that it can take place 24 hours a day and that it’s hard to detect. A girl or a boy can be a victim of cyberbullying inside the school gates or in the privacy of their own home. The consequences of such acts can be life-changing.
The victims are at increased risk of suffering from depression, anxiety and other stress-related illnesses. Research has shown that they are more likely to abuse alcohol or drugs, have low self-esteem and get poor exam results. In some cases they also attempt suicide. There are, however, ways to prevent it.
Parents must be the first line of defence. But to play their role, it’s vital that they keep lines of communication open with their children. In many cases, young people are reluctant to talk about cyberbullying to their parents if they think that, as a result, their access to technology will be limited. They might also fear that their parents will overreact. It’s equally crucial for parents to teach their children that they can stop bullies.
Schools can also play a major role in working with parents to prevent and remedy cyberbullying situations. Currently it’s almost impossible for schools to take action against students for offences committed outside school premises, but they have a duty to educate pupils in the classroom on ethics and online dangers.
Increasing the level of awareness on this issue will enable children who become victims of cyberbullying to protect themselves by applying three rules of online safety: stop, block and tell.
Although it’s not possible to completely eliminate this phenomenon, we can stop it it when we know it’s happening. The best way, and the one that most of us have control over, is to stay alert of our children’s online activities and to keep lines of communication open.
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
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Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
The bio
Academics: Phd in strategic management in University of Wales
Number one caps: His best-seller caps are in shades of grey, blue, black and yellow
Reading: Is immersed in books on colours to understand more about the usage of different shades
Sport: Started playing polo two years ago. Helps him relax, plus he enjoys the speed and focus
Cars: Loves exotic cars and currently drives a Bentley Bentayga
Holiday: Favourite travel destinations are London and St Tropez
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
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Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more