The Perception and Roles of School Mental Health Professionals Regarding School Bullying (Suluk Audwani) in Oman: A Qualitative Study in an Urban Setting
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Setting
2.2. Study Participants & Recruitment
Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria
2.3. Data Collection
2.4. Procedure
2.5. Recording Procedure
2.6. Data Analysis
2.7. Rigor
2.8. Ethical Considerations
3. Results
3.1. Demographic Data
3.2. Thematic Analysis Results
3.2.1. The First Theme: Bullying Definition
3.2.2. The Second Theme: Components of Bullying
“One of the essential components of bullying is the perpetrator, and they have a group (typically supporters) who are usually prepared to help the perpetrator in their bullying behaviour.”[G4]
“The victim is typically a weak-willed individual who cannot defend himself or herself and has little self-confidence.”[G4]
“The Bullying tool, technique, or bullying method.”[G1]
“A key element of bullying is the audience, who can be passive (the majority): They prefer to remain silent or withdraw when they witness bullying. Their actions encourage the perpetrator and exacerbate the problem. The crowds can also be active: They defend victims or inform the administration about the situation.”[G3]
“In the bully: Low academic achievement, behavioural problems, their surrounding environment (habitual use of harmful language), previous exposure to bullying, and attention seeker. In the victim: Lack of self-confidence or low self-esteem, lack of emotional support at home, and the presence of a trait or characteristic that predisposes the student to bullying.”[G3]
“Strong personality, smart and resourceful student, wants attention from teacher and social worker (bully), weak personality and unable to defend itself, problems in emotional support from the family and lack of self-confidence (victim).”[G4]
3.2.3. The Third Theme: Common Types of Bullying
“One of the most prominent forms of bullying is verbal bullying, such as threatening, belittling, laughing at looks, voice, height, weight, nicknames, skin color, nationality, stuttering, their mothers and mocking the father’s workplace (or nature of work).”[G1]
“Verbal bullying: Profanity, name-calling, comparison and belittling, threats, sarcasm, and name calling.”[G3]
“The most prevalent form is verbal bullying: Repeated name calling, ridiculing the victim’s mother, mocking congenital abnormalities such as in speech, stuttering, physical appearance, or disability.”[G6]
“Physical bullying: touching, hitting, pushing, throwing and stealing personal items.”[G1]
“Forcing victims to engage in dangerous actions [that will get them in trouble] including stealing others’ belongings.”[G6]
“Popular examples of cyberbullying include taking unwanted photos of the victims, laughing at them on social media groups, posting their voice messages without their permission, making a video mocking them, commenting profanity on their social media posts, impersonating them on social media sites, and threatening to delete their account.”[G1]
“Social bullying, such as spreading rumours.”[G4]
“Psychological bullying (exclusion): Isolation, labeling, stigmatization.”[G4]
“Social bullying: includes bullying that relates to an individual’s tribal heritage, traditions, or customs.”[G1]
“Social or psychological bullying, such as exclusion, stigma, stares, theft, and racial discrimination.”[G4]
“Ethnic bullying: racial prejudice.”[G6]
“Ethnic bullying is related to making fun of color or race.”[G3]
“Bullying differs somewhat between the village and the city in terms of its manifestations and influencing factors.”[G3]
“Manifestations of bullying can vary according to the school structure, the state, the community, student density, age group, or gender.”[G6]
“In girls’ schools (fifth through tenth grade), verbal bullying is the most common, followed by cyberbullying and psychological bullying (exclusion). In girls’ schools (grades one through four), physical bullying is more common, followed by verbal bullying.”[G3]
“In the lower grades it is mostly verbal and then turns into brawls [in the upper grades].”[G6]
“Verbal bullying: It is prevalent in cycles (1–8) ... Physical and behavioural bullying: Prevalent in grades (10–12).”[G1]
3.2.4. The Fourth Theme: Current Practices against Bullying
“Orientation classes and lectures where we talk about bullying and psychological first aid. In addition, programs to promote tolerance and friendship among students.”[G5]
“Daily psychological counselling on topics of self-improvement topics, and mentoring sessions titled: ‘We are all friends’, ‘Be kind’ and ‘Self-confidence’. Also, individual or group counselling programs for students who lack confidence and self-worth, as well as for bringing in experts to present lectures on this topic.”[G2]
“Counselling programs (emotional venting, relationship building, why are you changing?), individual sessions to provide students with effective communication and relationship building skills, and hosting experts to talk about the topic.”[G6]
“Raising awareness through radio programs (to promote the concepts of friendship, tolerance, respect, kindness, and altruism), In addition, use the school’s morning assembly broadcast to spread awareness among students about the psychological and physical effects of bullying and to paint an unfavorable mental image of the bully.”[G5]
“Implementing preventive awareness programs within the social worker’s duties (such as social media campaigns, radio shows, and electronic bulletins posted on school accounts), and spreading the value of tolerance, altruism, and respect within the school.”[G1]
“Designing various advisory boards, radio programs (puppet theatre), lectures for students and parents about cyberbullying at the morning assembly and distribution of brochures and fliers on social media.”[G4]
“Arranging extracurricular activities for pupils and motivating them to do so in order to pass the time and let off steam. In addition, hold contests and small-scale displays that showcase students’ viewpoints.”[G5]
“Educational workshops that increase student awareness of the issue and clarify its effects, and skills’ workshops aimed at building healthy relationships.”[G6]
“Individual counselling for the bully, with the student learning about the dangers of bullying and correcting his/her perception of bullying and its negative effects on the bully and the bullied. [and for the victim] Engage the student in group and school activities to foster friendships and positive relationships that reduce bullying, promote speaking and communication, and increase self-confidence.”[G4]
“For the bully, counselling sessions on controlling and overcoming anger and sessions on learning about rational and irrational thoughts. As for the bullied, attempt to integrate them with other students who possess integrity and establish an environment that is conducive to their needs.”[G3]
“For the perpetrator, engage them in artistic and skill workshops aimed at calming and venting anger and emotions, as well as interactive participatory workshops to strengthen relationships, change perceptions, build role models, and therapeutic breathing exercises.”[G6]
“Implement the Student Affairs Regulation as a measure to control student behaviour and conduct.”[G6]
“Disciplinary actions (the student is referred to the expert handling Student Affairs Regulation): the student signs a pledge, is warned, or is dismissed (after agreement with the school administration).”[G4]
3.2.5. The Fifth Theme: Challenges
“For example, the student’s lack of receptivity to the intervention plan (or lack of response), the student’s refusal to attend scheduled sessions, stubbornness, their lack of acceptance of change—some are not amenable to discussion and behavioural change. Furthermore, it is difficult to change the belief (self-image/mental image) of the bully and the victim.”[G6]
“One of the difficulties is the victim’s fear of speaking up. In addition, school bullies are usually aggressive and challenging to deal with.”[G4]
“Lack of response from certain parents, who either don’t understand the seriousness of bullying and its impact on victim mental and social well-being or firmly believe that students should handle things on their own.”[G6]
“Typically, parents are not open to the concept of bullying since they prefer to view it as simply another normal child’s fight. In addition, they like to overtly coddle their children and will not allow their child to be designated as a “bully.”[G2]
“Some parents lack understanding of discipline (hit whoever hits you).”[G5]
“Difficulties from the school administration when attempting to apply the Student Affairs Regulations.”[G6]
“Lack of cooperation from management and teaching staff to solve daily problems or situations in the classroom, and shortage of teachers in schools leading to too many spare classes and increased pressure on mental health professionals in school.”[G4]
“One problem is that in certain older schools, the psychologist or social worker does not have a private space (like a private office).”[G5]
“The geographical location of the social worker’s office and its presence in the administration. In addition, there are sometimes too many student patients in the specialist’s office and there is a lack of confidentiality.”[G5]
“Challenges in organizing and implementing psychological counselling and group counselling, and the lack of available classes to implement these sessions in.”[G3]
“Absence of appropriate spaces to hold certain programs, and issues with students refusing to leave class to go to individual or group therapy.”[G2]
“Lack of financial support to implement preventive and therapeutic projects.”[G1]
3.2.6. The Sixth Theme: Suggested Practices for the Future
“Educate parents and students, make sure government agencies and stakeholders give the issue serious importance, and raise community awareness through: Local media, Friday prayers, and social media.”[G1]
“Launching an awareness story series and an animated children’s educational series on the local children’s channel. In addition, leverage the role of Learning Resource Centres’ role in providing visuals on the topic, and encouraging government agencies or stockholders to run family awareness campaigns. It’s crucial since some cases of bullying arise from people’s emotional response to their home and domestic abuse.”[G4]
“Training workshops that focus on cases affected by bullying for everyone involved (everyone benefits, not just the victim), and how to deal with bullying issues.”[G3]
“Awareness programs implemented from the specialist’s work plan (social or psychological), including a set of educational values to deal with the school and family environment, applying programmes on tolerance: Ideally an event on Tolerance Day, and the “I Matter” initiative to modify behaviours.”[G5]
“Curriculum, and then curriculum: The syllabus needs to be modified appropriately, like adding a unit on good values and qualities to instil them in students’ minds. Other suggestions include reducing the total number of subjects, increasing Islamic education classes, and assigning grades on behaviour throughout the year.”[G4]
“Addition of a unit in the Islamic education curriculum that focusses on: Instilling good values and improving self-confidence.”[G3]
“Establishing a specialized academy to reformulate bullies’ thoughts and examine them in a scientific, objective, and focused way. Increase in research studies on which we can rely and base our programs on.”[G6]
4. Discussion
4.1. Discussion of Themes
4.1.1. Definition of Suluk Audwani
4.1.2. Components of Suluk Audwani
4.1.3. Common Types of Suluk Audwani
4.1.4. Current Practices against Suluk Audwani
4.1.5. Challenges Facing SMHP Regarding Suluk Audwani
4.1.6. Suggested Practices for the Future for Suluk Audwani
4.2. Limitations
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Krug, E.G.; Mercy, J.A.; Dahlberg, L.L.; Zwi, A.B. The world report on violence and health. Lancet 2002, 360, 1083–1088. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Tu, Y.; Qing, Z.-H.; Lin, C.-X.; Yan, C.-H.; Yin, H.-Z.; Ighaede-Edwards, I.G.; Cheng, S.-X.; Liu, X.-Q. The prevalence and severity of school bullying among left-behind children: A meta-analysis. Trauma Violence Abus. 2023, 25, 1838–1852. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Zhang, Y.; Chen, J.-K. Emotional intelligence and school bullying victimization in children and youth students: A meta-analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 4746. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kieling, C.; Baker-Henningham, H.; Belfer, M.; Conti, G.; Ertem, I.; Omigbodun, O.; Rohde, L.A.; Srinath, S.; Ulkuer, N.; Rahman, A. Child and adolescent mental health worldwide: Evidence for action. Lancet 2011, 378, 1515–1525. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Frei-Landau, R. Who should support grieving children in school? Applying Winnicott’s viewpoint to conceptualize the dyadic roles of teachers and school mental-health professionals in the context of pediatric grief. Front. Psychiatry 2023, 14, 1290967. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- World Health Organization. Creating an Environment for Emotional and Social Well-Being: An Important Responsibility of a Health-Promoting and Child-Friendly School. World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2003; Available online: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/creating-an-environment-for-emotional-and-social-well-being-an-important-responsibility-of-a-health-promoting-and-child-friendly-school (accessed on 26 April 2023).
- Directorate General of Primary Health Care; Department of School & University Health. Guidelines on Schools Mental Health Services, 1st ed.; Ministry of Health Sultanate of Oman: Muscat, Oman, 2020. Available online: https://www.moh.gov.om/en/web/general-directorate-of-primary-health-care/-6 (accessed on 13 May 2023).
- Landen, R.G. Oman Since 1856: Disruptive Modernization in a Traditional Arab Society; Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ, USA, 1967. [Google Scholar]
- Peyton, R.P.; Ranasinghe, S.; Jacobsen, K.H. Injuries, violence, and bullying among middle school students in Oman. Oman Med. J. 2017, 32, 98–105. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Al-Saadoon, M.; Al-Farsi, Y.M.; Rizvi, S.; Al-Sharbati, M.; Al-Jabri, A.; Almamari, S.; Al-Baluki, W.; Al-Adawi, S. Research Article The Magnitude and Impact of Bullying among School Pupils in Muscat, Oman: A Cross-Sectional Study. Sci. World J. 2014, 2014. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Alobaidani, M.S.H.; ALsaidi, F.H. Moral Intelligence as a Mediator Variable in the Relationship between Personality Traits and School Bullying among Students from Grades (7-9) in North Al Batinah Governorate, Sultanate of Oman. Int. J. Res. Educ. 2022, 46, 173–208. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kwangu, M.; Njunju, E.M.; Mulenga, D.; Mazaba, M.L.; Siziya, S. Prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation among school-going adolescents in Oman. Int. Public Health J. 2017, 9, 379–383. [Google Scholar]
- Fleming, L.C.; Jacobsen, K.H. Bullying among middle-school students in low and middle income countries. Health Promot. Int. 2009, 25, 73–84. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- AlHajri, R.; AlAjmi, Q.; AlYahmadi, H.; Alwahaibi, I. The Reasons Behind the Spread of Private Tutoring in the Sultanate of Oman from Teacher’s Point of View. Migr. Lett. 2024, 21, 477–494. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Imran, N.; Rahman, A.; Chaudhry, N.; Asif, A. World Health Organization “School Mental Health Manual”-based training for school teachers in Urban Lahore, Pakistan: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2018, 19, 1–8. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Al-Saadoon, M.; Al-Adawi, M.; Al-Adawi, S. Socio-cultural constraints in protecting child rights in a society in transition: A review and synthesis from Oman. Child Indic. Res. 2021, 14, 239–267. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Lanigan, R.L. General and Theoretical: Beyond Culture. Edward T. Hall. Am. Anthropol. 1978, 80, 403. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Abi-Raad, M. Western organizational theories: Middle Eastern style: How much do you know about the culture. J. Organ. Manag. Stud. 2019, 2019, 730213. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Patton, D.U.; Hong, J.S.; Patel, S.; Kral, M.J. A systematic review of research strategies used in qualitative studies on school bullying and victimization. Trauma Violence Abus. 2017, 18, 3–16. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Burjorjee, R.; Al-Adawi, S. The Sultanate of Oman: An experiment in community care. Psychiatr. Bull. 1992, 16, 646–648. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Morgan, D.L.; Hoffman, K. Focus Groups. In The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Data Collection; Flick., U., Ed.; SAGE Publications Ltd.: London, UK, 2018; pp. 250–263. [Google Scholar]
- Gündüz, F.F.; Kocabaşa, H. The Focus Group Interview Technique: An Application on The Future Anxiety of University Students. Soc. Sci. Stud. J. 2022, 8, 2228–2238. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lam, M.Y.; Tatla, S.K.; Lohse, K.R.; Shirzad, N.; Hoens, A.M.; Miller, K.J.; Holsti, L.; Virji-Babul, N.; Van der Loos, H.M. Perceptions of technology and its use for therapeutic application for individuals with hemiparesis: Findings from adult and pediatric focus groups. JMIR Rehabil. Assist. Technol. 2015, 2, e3484. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Nyumba, T.O.; Wilson, K.; Derrick, C.J.; Mukherjee, N. The use of focus group discussion methodology: Insights from two decades of application in conservation. Methods Ecol. Evol. 2018, 9, 20–32. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fusch, P.I.; Ness, L.R. Are we there yet? Data saturation in qualitative research. Qual. Rep. 2015, 20, 1408–1416. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Srivilai, P.; Sorod, B.-O. Victimization of Workplace Bullying: A Prior Study of a Development of a Tool to Measure Victimization of Bullying and Its Validation with Neuroticism Trait. J. Community Dev. Res. (Humanit. Soc. Sci.) 2019, 12, 11–24. [Google Scholar]
- Pourtaleb, N.; Azar, E.F.; Adib, Y. Investigation of Teachers’ Lived Experiences of Student’s Bullying Behavior: A Phenomenological Approach. J. Qual. Res. Health Sci. 2019, 8, 143–153. [Google Scholar]
- Marini, Z.A.; Volk, A.A. Towards a transdisciplinary blueprint to studying bullying. J. Youth Stud. 2017, 20, 109–194. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Vaillancourt, T.; Trinh, V.; McDougall, P.; Duku, E.K.; Cunningham, L.J.; Cunningham, C.E.; Hymel, S.; Short, K. Optimizing Population Screening of Bullying in School-Aged Children. J. Sch. Violence 2010, 9, 233–250. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Braun, V.; Clarke, V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual. Res. Psychol. 2006, 3, 77–101. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- ATLAS.ti for Windows, 24.1; ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH: Berlin, Germany, 2024. Available online: https://atlasti.com(accessed on 20 July 2024).
- Hamoda, H.M.; Hoover, S.; Bostic, J.; Rahman, A.; Saaed, K. Development of a World Health Organization mental health in schools programme in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. East. Mediterr. Health J. 2022, 28, 225–232. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Khatib, H.E.; Alyafei, A.; Shaikh, M. Understanding experiences of mental health help-seeking in Arab populations around the world: A systematic review and narrative synthesis. BMC Psychiatry 2023, 23, 324. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Albdour, M.; Hong, J.S.; Zilioli, S.; Lumley, M.A. Self-reported physical and psychological symptoms among victims and perpetrators of bullying in Arab American adolescents. J. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. Nurs. 2020, 33, 201–208. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Smith, P.K.; Cowie, H.; Olafsson, R.F.; Liefooghe, A.P. Definitions of bullying: A comparison of terms used, and age and gender differences, in a Fourteen–Country international comparison. Child Dev. 2002, 73, 1119–1133. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Aia-Utsal, M. Social Pedagogues’ Definitions of Three Types of Bullying. Eur. Proc. Soc. Behav. Sci. 2019. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Monks, C.P.; Coyne, I. A history of research into bullying. In Bullying in Different Contexts; Monks, C.P., Coyne, I., Eds.; Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK, 2011. [Google Scholar]
- Olweus, D. Bullying in schools: Facts and intervention. Kriminalistik 2010, 64, 351–361. [Google Scholar]
- Olweus, D. Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do; Blackwell Publishers: Oxford, UK, 1993. [Google Scholar]
- Wikan, U. Shame and honour: A contestable pair. Man 1984, 19, 635–652. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- al-Adawi, S. Adolescence in Oman. In International Encyclopedia of Adolescence: A Historical and Cultural Survey of Young People Around the World; Routledge: New York, NY, USA, 2006. [Google Scholar]
- Singelis, T.M.; Sharkey, W.F. Culture, self-construal, and embarrassability. J. Cross-Cult. Psychol. 1995, 26, 622–644. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Samara, M.; Alkathiri, N.; Sherif, M.; El-Asam, A.; Hammuda, S.; Smith, P.K.; Morsi, H. Bullying in the Arab world: Definition, perception, and implications for public health and interventions. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21, 364. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zowawi, H.M.; Abedalthagafi, M.; Mar, F.A.; Almalki, T.; Kutbi, A.H.; Harris-Brown, T.; Harbarth, S.; Balkhy, H.H.; Paterson, D.L.; Hasanain, R.A. The potential role of social media platforms in community awareness of antibiotic use in the gulf cooperation council states: Luxury or necessity? J. Med. Internet Res. 2015, 17, e233. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Al-Khani, A.M.; Saquib, J.; Rajab, A.M.; Khalifa, M.A.; Almazrou, A.; Saquib, N. Internet addiction in Gulf countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J. Behav. Addict. 2021, 10, 601–610. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pichel, R.; Foody, M.; O’Higgins Norman, J.; Feijóo, S.; Varela, J.; Rial, A. Bullying, cyberbullying and the overlap: What does age have to do with it? Sustainability 2021, 13, 8527. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Gusho, L.P. Relationship between Physical Bullying and Age in Albanian Teenagers. Eur. J. Soc. Sci. Educ. Res. 2015, 2, 166–171. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Menesini, E.; Salmivalli, C. Bullying in schools: The state of knowledge and effective interventions. Psychol. Health Med. 2017, 22, 240–253. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Park, J.-S.; Heo, H.; Kim, M.-S.; Lee, S.-E.; Park, S.; Kim, K.-H.; Kang, Y.-H.; Kim, J.S.; Sung, Y.H.; Shim, W.H. Amphiregulin normalizes altered circuit connectivity for social dominance of the CRTC3 knockout mouse. Mol. Psychiatry 2023, 28, 4655–4665. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Peterson, M.F.; Stewart, S.A. Implications of individualist bias in social identity theory for cross-cultural organizational psychology. J. Cross-Cult. Psychol. 2020, 51, 283–308. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Van Noorden, T.H.; Haselager, G.J.; Cillessen, A.H.; Bukowski, W.M. Empathy and involvement in bullying in children and adolescents: A systematic review. J. Youth Adolesc. 2015, 44, 637–657. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Greca, A.M.L.; Silverman, W.K. Treatment and Prevention of Posttraumatic Stress Reactions in Children and Adolescents Exposed to Disasters and Terrorism: What Is the Evidence? Child Dev. Perspect. 2009, 3, 4–10. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ironson, G.; Hylton, E.; Gonzalez, B.; Small, B.; Freund, B.; Gerstein, M.; Thurston, F.; Bira, L. Effectiveness of three brief treatments for recent traumatic events in a low-SES community setting. Psychol. Trauma Theory Res. Pract. Policy 2021, 13, 123. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Figueroa, R.A.; Cortés, P.F.; Marín, H.; Vergés, A.; Gillibrand, R.; Repetto, P. The ABCDE psychological first aid intervention decreases early PTSD symptoms but does not prevent it: Results of a randomized-controlled trial. Eur. J. Psychotraumatology 2022, 13, 2031829. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ministry of Education. Ministerial Order No. 234/2017 Pertaining to the Issuance of the Student Affairs Regulations; 1203; Ministry of Education: Muscat, Oman, 2017.
- Al-Adawi, S.; Al-Kalbani, Y.; Panchatcharam, S.M.; Al-Zadjali, M.A.; Al-Adawi, S.S.; Essa, M.M.; Qoronfleh, M.W. Differential executive functioning in the topology of Spirit possession or dissociative disorders: An explorative cultural study. BMC Psychiatry 2019, 19, 379. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Hickey, J.E.; Pryjmachuk, S.; Waterman, H. Mental illness research in the Gulf Cooperation Council: A scoping review. Health Res. Policy Syst. 2016, 14, 59. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- DeLara, E.W. Why adolescents don’t disclose incidents of bullying and harassment. J. Sch. Violence 2012, 11, 288–305. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Stives, K.L.; May, D.C.; Pilkinton, M.; Bethel, C.L.; Eakin, D.K. Strategies to combat bullying: Parental responses to bullies, bystanders, and victims. Youth Soc. 2019, 51, 358–376. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Stives, K.L.; May, D.C.; Mack, M.; Bethel, C.L. Understanding responses to bullying from the parent perspective. Front. Educ. 2021, 6, 642367. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Gaffney, H.; Ttofi, M.M.; Farrington, D.P. What works in anti-bullying programs? Analysis of effective intervention components. J. Sch. Psychol. 2021, 85, 37–56. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Mcinnes, E.; Whitington, V.; Neill, B. A ‘Classroom as Community’Approach to Supporting Student Well-being and Reducing Bullying in Primary Schools. In Proceedings of The Future of Education. Florence, Italy; 2019. Available online: https://conference.pixel-online.net/files/foe/ed0009/FP/5712-ESI3869-FP-FOE9.pdf (accessed on 20 July 2024).
- Al-Raggad, F.E. The role of parent and teacher councils in reducing the phenomenon of bullying from the principals, teachers and educational counselors’ viewpoint. Perspekt. Nauk. I Obraz. Perspect. Sci. Educ. 2023, 66, 745–758. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Yosep, I.; Suryani, S.; Mediani, H.S.; Mardhiyah, A.; Maulana, I.; Hernawaty, T.; Hazmi, H. A Scoping Review of Assertiveness Therapy for Reducing Bullying Behavior and Its Impacts Among Adolescents. J. Multidiscip. Healthc. 2024, 17, 1777–1790. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Al Lily, A.E.; Ismail, A.F.; Aissani, R.; Abunasser, F.M.; Shahpo, S.M.; Abdullatif, A.K.A.; Elmorsy, G.N. Sociocultural Causes of Ambiguity in Arab Academic Writings. Publications 2023, 11, 25. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
First Session: | |
---|---|
Q1 | In your opinion, what is the definition of bullying? |
Q2 | What are the most prominent appearances of bullying you have noticed in your school? (Also give examples from your school) |
Q3 | How common is bullying in your school? (Additionally, mention the most common types of bullying in your school) |
Q4 | What are the elements of bullying? |
Second session: | |
Q1 | What are the preventive measures you are currently practicing at your school? |
Q2 | What are the treatment strategies you currently employ in your school? |
Q3 | What obstacles do you face when trying to implement prevention or treatment initiatives in your school? |
Q4 | What programs would you recommend implementing to deal with bullying? |
Measure | n (n = 50) | % |
---|---|---|
Gender: | ||
Male | 20 | 40% |
Female | 30 | 60% |
Age Group: | ||
<=30 | 5 | 10% |
31–40 | 31 | 62% |
41–50 | 14 | 28% |
Years of experience: | ||
0–10 | 21 | 42% |
11–20 | 26 | 52% |
21–30 | 3 | 6% |
Province (Wilaya): | ||
Al Amarat | 8 | 16% |
Bawshar | 7 | 14% |
Muscat (Old Town) | 3 | 6% |
Muttrah | 4 | 8% |
Qurayyat | 3 | 6% |
Al Seeb | 25 | 50% |
School level: | ||
Basic Education: Cycle 1 (Grades 1–4) | 4 | 8% |
Basic Education: Cycle 2 (Grades 5–10) | 30 | 60% |
Post-Basic Education/Secondary (grades 11–12) | 10 | 20% |
Combined Basic and Post-Basic School | 6 | 12% |
Themes | Main Quotes |
---|---|
First Theme: Bullying Definition | “سلوك عدواني” or “Suluk Audwani” “A repeated, deliberate, aggressive behaviour is practised by an individual (or a group), with the intent to harm another person (or a group), and there is usually a difference in power between the perpetrator and the victim. The repeated deliberate aggressive behavior can have negative consequences for the parties involved and the community as a whole.” |
Second Theme: Components of Bullying | “One of the essential components of bullying is the perpetrator, and they have a group (typically supporters) who are usually prepared to assist the perpetrator in their bullying behaviour.” [G4] “The victim is usually a weak-willed individual who is unable to defend themselves and has little self-confidence” [G4] “The Bullying tool, technique, or bullying method” [G1] “A key element of bullying is the audience, who can be passive (the majority): They prefer to remain silent or withdraw when they witness bullying. Their actions encourage the perpetrator and exacerbate the issue. The crowds can also be active: They either defend victims or inform the administration about the situation.” [G3] “Strong personality, smart and resourceful student, wants attention from the teacher and social worker (the bully), weak personality and unable to defend himself, emotional support issues from the family, and lack of self-confidence (the victim).” [G4] |
Third Theme: Common bullying types | “In girls’ schools (fifth through tenth grade), verbal bullying is most common, followed by cyberbullying and psychological bullying (exclusion). In girls’ schools (grades one through four), physical bullying is more common, followed by verbal bullying.” [G3] |
Fourth Theme: Current Practices | “Orientation classes and lectures: Talk about bullying, psychological first aid, and implementing programmes to promote tolerance and friendship between students.” [G5] “Raising awareness through radio programs (to promote the concepts of friendship, tolerance, respect, kindness, and altruism), In addition, use the school’s morning assembly broadcast to spread awareness among students about the psychological and physical effects of bullying and to paint an unfavourable mental image of the bully.” [G5] “For the bully, counselling sessions on controlling and overcoming anger and sessions on learning about rational and irrational thoughts. As for the bullied, attempt to integrate them with other students who are trustworthy and establish an environment that is conducive to their needs.” [G3] “Disciplinary actions (the student is referred to the expert handling Student Affairs Regulation): the student signs a pledge, is warned, or is dismissed (after agreement with the school administration).” [G4] |
Fifth Theme: Challenges | “For example, the student’s lack of receptivity to the intervention plan (or lack of response)” [G6] “Typically, parents are not open to the concept of bullying since they prefer to view it as simply another normal fight between children. In addition, they like to overtly coddle their children and will not allow their child to be designated as a “bully.” [G2] “Difficulties from the school administration when attempting to apply the Student Affairs Regulations.” [G6] “Challenges in organizing and implementing psychological counselling and group counselling, and the lack of available classes to implement these sessions in.” [G3] ‘Lack of financial support to implement preventive and therapeutic projects.” [G1] |
Sixth Theme: Suggested practices for the future | “Educate parents and students, make sure government agencies and stakeholders give the issue serious importance, and raise community awareness through: Local media, Friday prayers, and social media.” [G1] “Addition of a unit in the Islamic education curriculum that focusses on: Instilling good values and improving self-confidence.” [G3] “Establishing a specialized academy to reformulate bullies’ thoughts and examine them in a scientific, objective, and focused way. Increase in research studies on which we can rely and base our programs on.” [G6] |
Arabic Terms | Transliteration | English Translation | n (%) |
---|---|---|---|
“سلوك” | “Suluk” | Behavior | 12 (10.44%) |
“عدواني” | “Audwani” | Aggressive | 9 (7.83%) |
“متكرر” | “Mutakarir” | Repeated | 7 (5.22%) |
“سلبي” | “Salbi” | Negative | 5 (4.35%) |
“لفظي” | “Lafzi” | Verbal | 5 (4.35%) |
“فعل” | “Fi’el” | An Act | 4 (3.48%) |
“الأذى” | “Al Az’a” | Harm | 3 (2.61%) |
“الإساءة” | “Al Eisa’ah” | Offence | 3 (2.61%) |
“العنف” | “Al Onf” | Violence | 3 (2.61%) |
“قول” | “Qawl” | Saying | 3 (2.61%) |
“الإعتداء” | “Al Ei’tida” | Assault | 2 (1.74%) |
“النفسي” | “Al nafsi” | Psychological | 2 (1.74%) |
“تعمد” | “Ta’ammod” | Deliberate | 2 (1.74%) |
“جسدي” | “Jasadi” | Physical | 2 (1.74%) |
“غير سوي” | “Gayr Sawi” | Misbehavior | 2 (1.74%) |
“مؤذي” | “Mo’zi” | Harmful | 2 (1.74%) |
“متعمد” | “Mota’ammad” | Intentional | 2 (1.74%) |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Al Saadoon, M.; Eltayib, R.A.A.; Alhaj, A.H.; Chan, M.F.; Aldhafri, S.; Al-Adawi, S. The Perception and Roles of School Mental Health Professionals Regarding School Bullying (Suluk Audwani) in Oman: A Qualitative Study in an Urban Setting. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21, 991. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21080991
Al Saadoon M, Eltayib RAA, Alhaj AH, Chan MF, Aldhafri S, Al-Adawi S. The Perception and Roles of School Mental Health Professionals Regarding School Bullying (Suluk Audwani) in Oman: A Qualitative Study in an Urban Setting. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2024; 21(8):991. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21080991
Chicago/Turabian StyleAl Saadoon, Muna, Rawaa Abubakr Abuelgassim Eltayib, Amjad Hassan Alhaj, Moon Fai Chan, Said Aldhafri, and Samir Al-Adawi. 2024. "The Perception and Roles of School Mental Health Professionals Regarding School Bullying (Suluk Audwani) in Oman: A Qualitative Study in an Urban Setting" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 21, no. 8: 991. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21080991