Studies show that seven children are being bullied every day around the world, said Dr. Rommel Sergio, president of Filipino Educators-UAE (FilEds-UAE) and chairman and associate professor at Canadian University of Dubai.
In the UAE, reports of bullied children as young as those in kindergarten were seriously injured, traumatized or hospitalized, Sergio said.
A seminar-workshop, “Stop Bullying: Interventions and Strategies,” was held on April 5 at United International Private School (UIPS) organized by FilEds-UAE and participated in by some 100 members of the school.
Participants were provided with techniques, practices and strategies to promote zero-tolerance against bullying.
“I shared the Jama Pediatrics Study which highlighted that peer victimizations and bullying cause higher rates of suicide among the youth. I pointed out that while children spend a good number of hours inside campuses, their first contact are their families and therefore their character is primarily formed by what transpires at home,” said Sergio.
A long-term plan of the FilEds-UAE is to provide sustaining and customized programs for the different Philippine schools across the country encompassing all stakeholders that include counseling, art workshops and exhibitions on anti-bullying message, he said.
Caption: United International Private School (UIPS) faculty and staff in deliberation during the seminar-workshop.
