Bullying prevention and intervention among school counsellors in Masafi Fujairah United Arab Emirates

This study aimed to explore bullying prevention and intervention among school counselors in Masafi-Fujairah schools, UAE. A descriptive design using qualitative case studies was used on several Masafi-Fujairah schools. The study participants were seven counselors in all four schools within the selected area. Interview techniques were used to collect data and analyzed through thematic analysis using NVivo-10 software. Findings show that school counselors' definitions of bullying vary according to their experience and context. Study participants said verbal bullying was the most preventable, and the counselors noted the increasing rate of cyberbullying. The study also found that some students report bullying cases to teachers, especially to counsellors. Moreover, it was found that counselors have the necessary training to handle bullying and employ educational programs, awareness campaigns, student development programs, and teacher-oriented programs. Study participants also mentioned most unreported bullying is detected through building rapport, regular observation, and secure communication between counsellors and students. Study participants also have a view to preventing reported bullying cases through school and individual-level interventions. The findings of the study show that counsellors are able to deal with bullying behavior creatively through direct and indirect intervention. The implications of the study show that schools should have a policy to manage bullying through systematic prevention and intervention methods.