UAE schools introduce forms to address group bullying

School principals across the United Arab Emirates are implementing confidential electronic forms to allow students to report instances of group bullying, including ridicule, exclusion, and threats, starting in the 2026-2027 academic year.

The new system aims to move reports of bullying, which can begin with mocking nicknames and escalate through online sharing, into an official reporting process for faster review and intervention.

Schools will categorize reports into six areas, bullying, threats, assault, harassment, feeling unsafe, and other incidents, and prioritize urgent cases, focusing first on protecting the student and stopping the harm. Administrators emphasize that the success of these forms shouldn’t be measured by the number of reports received, but by a school’s ability to encourage students to come forward and swiftly address abusive behavior.

Schools are clarifying to students how reports will be handled, who will have access to the information, and how their confidentiality will be maintained, requiring students to provide their names and class details for verification and protection. Parents are encouraged to listen to their children, reassure them, and preserve evidence when informed of bullying, avoiding blame, restrictions, or direct confrontation with the bully or their family.

Social workers and psychological counselors are stressing that intervention should extend beyond simply deleting abusive content, requiring monitoring to prevent retaliation and the spread of abuse to other platforms. Dr. Noura Al Muhairi, an educational expert, explained that schools must ensure easy access to the forms, continuous follow-up, immediate responses to urgent cases, protection of reporters, and ongoing monitoring after intervention to make the system effective.

The forms represent one part of a seven-line defense that includes documenting evidence, reporting early, blocking abusive accounts, and building a supportive network of friends.