By Ghadeer Ghloum
KUWAIT: Kuwait Society of Lawyers organized a seminar on Monday to discuss means to combat bullying against differently-abled people. The seminar delved into the legal, psychological and social aspects of bullying differently-abled individuals. The topic of this seminar is of no less importance compared to other topics, said Head of the Disability Center Mohammed Dughaim Al-Azmi said.
Azmi explained that bullying comes from those who suffer from a psychological illness that incites aggression and assault, as bullying is a type of violence in which a person attacks another person by spreading accusations or rumors, whether through electronic means, verbal abuse, psychological abuse or physical abuse. Member of the Disability Center Hamed Al-Shabu said it is important to know who the bully is, and that the bully is a psychologically ill person.
Shabu suggested six ways to combat bullying: "We must listen to the victim (by listening and providing emotional support), motivate the victim and let them know that there is a responsible party to protect them, work to improve the work environment between family and school, look for specialized help for this category, such as psychotherapists, encourage the victim to develop skills for dealing with bullying, such as speaking with confidence, and improve awareness of bullying through education and awareness-raising,” he said.
Since the lecture was limited to people with disabilities, Shabu highlighted that the people surrounding them and those who are responsible for them must be close to people with different abilities, so that they turn to them in case of bullying. Regarding the legal aspect of this issue, Treasurer of the Disability Center Khaled Al-Sharif began his speech with a Quranic verse that states: "Woe to every slanderer and backbiter”. He said bullying is a matter that concerns people with different abilities and others as well, but there is no law that fights bullying differently-abled people as a category of their own.
The reason behind this may be to show equality between differently-abled people and others and facilitate their integration into society. He then mentioned some criminal laws for penalties against those who cause disability, threaten or bully others. Sharif drew a distinction between two different types of cyberbullying: Bullying through private messages, which comes under investigation by the interior ministry, and group bullying, which is reviewed by the public prosecution because it is considered to be public bullying.
He praised the role of mothers in educating, thanking them for undertaking the most difficult task, which is upbringing and raising children, especially mothers of people with different abilities. Secretary of the Disability Center Mubarak Sabah Duaij Al-Sabah mentioned some Arab countries’ action towards protecting differently-abled people from bullying, as he provided a few examples such as Saudi Arabia, which established a center to protect people with different abilities by providing a hotline; the UAE, which has fixed a week every year and surveys students and parents for awareness purposes; and Egypt, which amended a law to protect differently-abled people.
He then necessitated working on the protection of differently-abled people, adding society must be aware not to bully this category. Member of the Disability Center Wadha Al-Naham addressed the psychological aspect of bullying, saying she has noticed bullying is increasing lately, and that it is not easy for a victim to express their suffering. She also said bullying can lead to suicide, as this issue has gone beyond schools and children and has reached workplaces and has started appearing among adults.
She expressed her displeasure towards those who bully differently-abled people, saying bullying can kill the skills and abilities of people with different abilities, although they may be capable of creativity and productivity. Naham pointed out that places that refuse to employ people with different abilities also play a role in bullying them. When bullying occurs by differently-abled person themselves, resorting to the law is necessary, where the legal system will protect the victim. She concluded by encouraging fighting bullying in every possible way, even if it is through a simple tweet or mentioning the topic in meetings and sessions.