Perception of Violence at Schools Among Children and Teenagers in Dubai

Early exposure to violence is a phenomenon that increases every day and that contaminates the first layers of the personality’s constitution. The children subject to such behaviors, as victims or even as perpetrators, are exposed to many psychological risks that can disrupt their emotional and cognitive development. Various studies demonstrated that aggression is part of the daily life of pupils at school and that it’s impacting negatively their educational journey. Some of them are suffering from bullying, harassment, anxieties, phobias and even depression. If not diagnosed and treated, those problems may last until adulthood. In this study, three major spheres related to violence in the early stages are evaluated: perception of violence, reaction to aggression and protecting resources against brutality among children and teenagers at schools from different nationalities. To achieve our goal, a survey has been created in Arabic and English and has been distributed to students from two different schools in Dubai. The results of the study are confirming that a high number of students are witnessing and are expressing violent behaviors at schools. Most of them still have a lack of awareness about the mediation role of the counselor at school and are basing their reactions basically on the regression defense mechanism or are focusing on groups dynamic to serve as a protector from the outside environment.