Autor(es): Al-Ketbi, Alfan ; Elbarazi, Iffat ; Hamada, Bayan Abu ; Elkonaisi, Ismail ; Paulo, Marilia Silva ; Grivna, Michal
Data: 2025
Identificador Persistente: http://hdl.handle.net/10362/191564
Origem: Repositório Institucional da UNL
Assunto(s): National anti-bullying strategy; Policymakers; School bullying; Stakeholders perspectives; UAE; Social Psychology; Developmental and Educational Psychology; Social Sciences (miscellaneous); SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Funding Information: This study was supported by United Arab Emirates University UPAR Grant 31M42. Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.
In 2018, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched an anti-bullying national strategy to address this pressing issue and to implement measures to combat it. The main aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of policymakers and those involved in the strategy and implementation to inform the design of an efficient and effective system for the prevention of bullying. The study used a qualitative exploratory method following a theory of program development approach. Semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted with policymakers and other stakeholders from the National Bullying Prevention Committee to evaluate their experience, views, actions, and plans to fight bullying in the UAE. The recorded interviews were translated, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using the NVivo qualitative analysis software. A total of 27 interviews were included in this study. Data saturation was achieved after the 20th interview. Additional interviews were conducted to enhance the robustness of the findings. Four major themes were coded based on the theory of change: “Status Quo in anti-bullying efforts,” “Need for in-depth evaluation,” “Existing challenges,” and “Recommendations for enhancement.” The findings of this study emphasized that despite the implementation of anti-bullying programs in the UAE, there is still a gap due to a lack of coordination among stakeholders and a clear mechanism to report bullying incidents. Unified and effective intervention policies following a precise pathway can contribute to reducing bullying nationwide.
