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Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar Foundation schools have held a series of activities as part of Anti-Bullying Week involving both teachers and students to help raise awareness of the most effective ways to combat various forms of bullying.
The activities are designed to teach students the right ways to respond to a victimiser and to highlight how silently observing harassment contributes to its escalation – and to the victimisation of its target.
At Awsaj Academy, a pre-university education school under the Qatar Foundation (QF) specialising in addressing the needs of students with learning difficulties, teaching social skills is an integral part of learning experience. The school holds activities every year for Anti-Bullying Week to teach students how to respond to intimidating behavior, and to emphasize the importance of empathy and friendliness between students.
“The issue of school bullying is one that we need to address and stand against through conscious and effective approaches, particularly because it significantly affects the mental health of children and young people,” said Sally Chalouhy, counsellor at Awsaj Academy.
“This year, cyberbullying was at the center of our activities during Anti-Bullying Week, due to the exceptional circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to remote learning. These included sending out a detailed presentation about online safety to our teachers in order for them to discuss it with students.
“Our Bully Blockers – a group of students from different grades formed five years ago – have shown proactivity and enthusiasm through shooting videos that raise awareness of bullying and how students can defend themselves and others when they are faced with such situations, as well as how they can fight passivity and speak up when they witness an act of bullying. We also asked the students, together with their parents, to design their own T-shirt with a statement that reflects an anti-bullying slogan, and wear it to school on a certain day.”
At QF School Qatar Academy Sidra, educating students about bullying and protection is part of a social and emotional learning framework that has been taught all year round for the past three years. Each month is dedicated to a specific theme, with November dedicated to learning how to respond to bullying and personal protection, while December focuses on emotional management and February focuses on mindfulness.
“During November, students from primary to secondary stage have learned about many ways to fight bullying, such as how to identify the characteristics of safe and unsafe environments, how to respond to pressure – whether through cyberbullying or peer pressure – how to identify their support system and people they can turn to at home, at school, or in their community for help and advice, the reasons why we need to stand against bullying, and general information on digital citizenship and how to be responsible on the digital sphere,” said Aristea Mastoraki, Student Counselor at Qatar Academy Sidra.
“All of these themes were addressed through activities performed by students, together with their homeroom teachers. They created scenarios simulating real-life situations and ways to respond to bullying, and presented them in the school assembly. They also had class discussions and designed posters illustrating the right ways to handle the pressure of such behaviors.”
Reem Al Alem, a Grade 8 student at Qatar Academy Sidra, said: “The sessions helped us understand how to recognize what is bullying and how to protect ourselves against it.
“It also helped us recognize potential dangers in an uncomfortable situation. and how to be assertive against bullying. We also learned that safety is not just physical, it is social, emotional, cyber-related, and mental.”
Meanwhile, at Qatar Academy Al Khor – also part of QF’s Pre-University Education – Anti-Bullying Week has seen students being encouraged, through a virtual activity, to become principled learners and demonstrate kindness towards others.
Students were given the opportunity to share their thoughts on interacting with others, to help develop their social and communication skills, and made a pledge to speak out when they or someone they know is being bullied. Senior school teachers also played videos about bullying and how it should be tackled during lessons.
Doha
Qatar Foundation schools have held a series of activities as part of Anti-Bullying Week involving both teachers and students to help raise awareness of the most effective ways to combat various forms of bullying.
The activities are designed to teach students the right ways to respond to a victimiser and to highlight how silently observing harassment contributes to its escalation – and to the victimisation of its target.
At Awsaj Academy, a pre-university education school under the Qatar Foundation (QF) specialising in addressing the needs of students with learning difficulties, teaching social skills is an integral part of learning experience. The school holds activities every year for Anti-Bullying Week to teach students how to respond to intimidating behavior, and to emphasize the importance of empathy and friendliness between students.
“The issue of school bullying is one that we need to address and stand against through conscious and effective approaches, particularly because it significantly affects the mental health of children and young people,” said Sally Chalouhy, counsellor at Awsaj Academy.
“This year, cyberbullying was at the center of our activities during Anti-Bullying Week, due to the exceptional circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to remote learning. These included sending out a detailed presentation about online safety to our teachers in order for them to discuss it with students.
“Our Bully Blockers – a group of students from different grades formed five years ago – have shown proactivity and enthusiasm through shooting videos that raise awareness of bullying and how students can defend themselves and others when they are faced with such situations, as well as how they can fight passivity and speak up when they witness an act of bullying. We also asked the students, together with their parents, to design their own T-shirt with a statement that reflects an anti-bullying slogan, and wear it to school on a certain day.”
At QF School Qatar Academy Sidra, educating students about bullying and protection is part of a social and emotional learning framework that has been taught all year round for the past three years. Each month is dedicated to a specific theme, with November dedicated to learning how to respond to bullying and personal protection, while December focuses on emotional management and February focuses on mindfulness.
“During November, students from primary to secondary stage have learned about many ways to fight bullying, such as how to identify the characteristics of safe and unsafe environments, how to respond to pressure – whether through cyberbullying or peer pressure – how to identify their support system and people they can turn to at home, at school, or in their community for help and advice, the reasons why we need to stand against bullying, and general information on digital citizenship and how to be responsible on the digital sphere,” said Aristea Mastoraki, Student Counselor at Qatar Academy Sidra.
“All of these themes were addressed through activities performed by students, together with their homeroom teachers. They created scenarios simulating real-life situations and ways to respond to bullying, and presented them in the school assembly. They also had class discussions and designed posters illustrating the right ways to handle the pressure of such behaviors.”
Reem Al Alem, a Grade 8 student at Qatar Academy Sidra, said: “The sessions helped us understand how to recognize what is bullying and how to protect ourselves against it.
“It also helped us recognize potential dangers in an uncomfortable situation. and how to be assertive against bullying. We also learned that safety is not just physical, it is social, emotional, cyber-related, and mental.”
Meanwhile, at Qatar Academy Al Khor – also part of QF’s Pre-University Education – Anti-Bullying Week has seen students being encouraged, through a virtual activity, to become principled learners and demonstrate kindness towards others.
Students were given the opportunity to share their thoughts on interacting with others, to help develop their social and communication skills, and made a pledge to speak out when they or someone they know is being bullied. Senior school teachers also played videos about bullying and how it should be tackled during lessons.
