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HEIKA | هيكا
Students
Be a HEIKA Champion: A Student Guide
Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected at school. You can help make that happen — for yourself and for others.
What the research found
- More than 1 in 3 students (37%) in a UAE study said they had been bullied — if it happens to you, you are not alone. (BMC Public Health, 2024)
- Leaving someone out of the group and hurtful words were among the most common forms. (BMC Public Health, 2024)
- Cyberbullying was common too, reported by 37% of students in private schools. (BMC Public Health, 2024)
What is bullying?
- Hurting someone on purpose, again and again — with words, actions, leaving them out, or online.
- It is never the fault of the person being bullied.
If it happens to you
- Tell a trusted adult — a parent, teacher or school counsellor. Keep telling until someone helps.
- Online: don't reply, take a screenshot, block and report.
If you see it: be an upstander
- Don't join in or laugh. Walk away with the person if it is safe.
- Get help from an adult.
- Later, check on them: “Are you okay? You're not alone.”
Include everyone
- Invite someone sitting alone to join your game or group.
- Be patient and kind with classmates of determination and those who learn or speak differently.
Need urgent help?
If a child is in danger, contact the school's designated safeguarding officer or call Police 999 · Child Protection Centre 116111.
Based on research by Dr. Alfan Alketbi
- Bullying victimization in schools in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study — BMC Public Health, 2024
- Bullying in private schools in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study — Population Medicine, 2023
© HEIKA | هيكا · info@heika.ae · Free to share for educational use.