From evidence to action: Scaling up anti- bullying programmes in The United Arab Emirates

Bullying is a widespread issue that significantly impacts the educational experience, emotional health, and developmental trajectory of children and adolescents. It manifests in various forms, including physical aggression, verbal abuse, social exclusion, and increasingly, cyberbullying. Left unaddressed, bullying can lead to long-term psychological distress, social withdrawal, poor academic outcomes, and in extreme cases, self-harm, or violence. Schools, which should be safe spaces for growth and learning, can become harmful environments for students when bullying behavior is prevalent and unchallenged.

Recognizing the urgent need to address this issue, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken a proactive step by launching a national anti-bullying (AB) program. The initiative was developed and implemented in a strategic partnership between the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood (SCMC), UNICEF, and the Ministry of Education (MOE), with the goal of cultivating safer and more inclusive school environments for all students.  

For SCMC, the programme fits nicely into the overall mission of wellbeing and development of children. ‘Peaceful coexistence is a fundamental pillar of the UAE’s multicultural society, fighting violence and  promoting respect as a national and moral duty” says Aamna Al Suwaidi, Researcher at SCMC, and the programme lead. “Bullying in all its forms, does not only harm individuals but also disrupts social cohesion and weakens the values of tolerance we proudly uphold. It is our collective responsibility to safeguard the well-being of future generations and the harmony of our community.” She continues. 

 The AB Program builds on the global evidence and best practices, while being tailored to the UAE’s unique cultural, educational, and social context. It emphasizes prevention, early intervention, and systemic change through a multi-tiered approach involving students, educators, parents, and child protection actors. The program aligns with the UAE's broader commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to quality education, gender equality, reduced inequalities, and peace and justice.  

The initiative included a robust training and capacity-building strategy, aimed at equipping school staff, particularly social workers, and school principals, with the knowledge, tools, and skills required to prevent and respond to bullying incidents. The program also promotes student awareness, peer engagement, and community involvement, thereby fostering a culture of respect, empathy, and accountability within the school setting.

I’m truly honored to be part of the anti-bullying programme. The training empowered both staff and students to build a more respectful and supportive environment. 

It gave us practical tools to recognize and address bullying at the early stages, that helps create a school culture where every student feels safe and valued.

(Ali Mohamed Elsaid, Head of wellbeing / Student Supervisor, Beaconhouse Private School, Al Ain) 

The program’s origin can be traced back to 2014, when the UNICEF Gulf, in partnership with SCMC, undertook a preliminary situation analysis across a sample of schools in the UAE. This initiative sought to assess the safety and well-being of students within their learning environments and to develop a framework for school-based protection mechanisms. 

Subsequently, a formative evaluation of the UAE anti-bullying program’s pilot phase (2014–2023) was undertaken in 2023, which showed that 85.3% of school staff and social workers noticed a decline in bullying incidents following the program implementation. 83% of students reported positive perception of improved safety. The positive findings of the study provide a strong foundation for the scale up of the program that can influence the lives of millions of children in the country. 

The "anti-bullying program" marked a turning point in my educational awareness, as it provided a comprehensive vision for understanding bullying behaviors and addressing them through scientific and humane approaches. 

The outcomes of the training were directly reflected in my professional performance; I took the initiative to design awareness initiatives and contributed to creating a school environment that listens, supports and protects

(Maryam Al Zaabi, Academic counselor, Othman Bin Abi Al As School, Cycle 2, Ras Al Khaimah) 

As a result of a series of trainings for Abu Dhabi public and private schools’ social workers and counselors in 2024 and 2025,  school level action plans have been developed. In the first phase of scale up undertaken in 2024, UNICEF and partners provided training for 540 school committee members from over 190 schools, thereby reaching almost all the public schools in Abu Dhabi – which is nearly 40% of the public schools in the UAE. As of June 2025, all the public and private schools in the emirate of Abu Dhabi have been reached through this scale up phase.  

To make this initiative sustainable, three Training of Trainers (TOT) were conducted in 2025, while MOE is currently working on the scale up through reaching all the remaining schools in northern emirates. ‘UNICEF is extremely pleased to see the level of interest and cooperation demonstrated by our partners, in particular, the SCMC, MOE and ADEK in this phase of the programme” says Saji Thomas, Chief of Child Protection at UNICEF Gulf “partners do acknowledge the severe impact bullying can have on the daily lives of children and have prioritized response around it.” He continues.

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To read more, please download the following documents and resources that were used for the project. We encourage educators and school counselors to utilize these resources to create a safer and healthier schools’ environment for students: 

• Formative Evaluation of the Anti-bullying Programme in schools in the UAE – Executive Summary (Arabic/English)
• Addressing Bullying in Schools - Training Manual (English)
• Addressing Bullying - guide for parents (Arabic)  

This story was originally pubished by UNICEF Gulf Area Office and is available on its website.