186 child abuse cases solved in Sharjah

Most of these cases included physical abuse, negligence, violence and misconduct reported at the department through the helpline 800700 by parents, care givers , teachers or others.

Amina Al Refai, director of the Child Protection Department, said Sharjah was the first emirate to establish 24-hour hotline facility in 2008 to report abuse against children. A team of social workers, psychologists and lawyers respond to the calls and refers the cases to various related departments, including police and Sharjah Private Authority. During the Covid-19, there has been a drop in the cases of child abuse related to schools. Physical abuse by parents, guardians or caregivers has also reduced, she pointed out. Beating up children, whether at home or schools, is an unwise act as it affects the child's mental frame, she said.

During the previous years, many cases were reported of teenage girls running away from their families due to physical abuse such as beating by father, mother, brother or relatives. These practices have seen a huge dip during this year.

She said that the police referred a case of an 18-year-old girl who ran away from her family because her parents abused her physically and verbally. The team brought the parents and the girl together and helped them "get along" by raising their social awareness through interactive sessions.

52 complaint boxes

The department also set up 52 complaint boxes in government and private schools for students and teachers to report child abuse cases - whether in schools or at homes, Al Rifai said.

She pointed out that the department also distributed 20 IPads to students, whose family can’t afford the electronic devices, to help them pursue their education through distance learning system.

Al Rifai pointed out that Sharjah Social Services Department has provided various types of support and assistance in order to protect and secure children's rights and provide them with a suitable environment.

She indicated that the Child Protection Response Team works very diligently to prevent a child from an ensuing risk and ensure the kid's safety within the shortest possible period of time.