Bullying in the Arab World: Definition, Perception, and Implications for Public Health and Interventions

Muthanna Samara (), Nura Alkathiri, Mahitab Sherif, Aiman El-Asam, Sara Hammuda, Peter K. Smith and Hisham Morsi
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Muthanna Samara: Department of Psychology, Kingston University London, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, London KT1 2EE, UK
Nura Alkathiri: Department of Psychology, Kingston University London, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, London KT1 2EE, UK
Mahitab Sherif: Department of Psychology, Kingston University London, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, London KT1 2EE, UK
Aiman El-Asam: Department of Psychology, Kingston University London, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, London KT1 2EE, UK
Sara Hammuda: Department of Psychology, Kingston University London, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, London KT1 2EE, UK
Peter K. Smith: Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of London, London SE14 6NW, UK
Hisham Morsi: National Centre for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Doha 1705, Qatar

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 3, 1-24

Abstract: The present research aimed to examine bullying among diverse Arab nationalities residing in Qatar across two separate studies. Study 1 examined how Arabic-speaking adolescents and adults describe and perceive bullying, participants ( N = 36) from different Arab nationalities (i.e., Egyptians, Qataris, Syrians, and other Arabs) were presented with three tasks in a focus group where they were asked questions about how they describe and perceive three scenarios without reference to the term “bullying”. Findings indicated that (1) the majority of participants referred to the intention to cause harm and the imbalance of power in their descriptions, and (2) differences in describing the behaviours in the scenarios were notable when comparing Egyptians with the three other nationalities. Overall, participants frequently chose different Arabic terms (e.g., Ta’adi (تعدي)) in their descriptions of the scenarios. Interestingly, the term Tanammor (تنمُّر), which has been used in previous studies as the Arabic term for bullying, was chosen the least by the current sample. Study 2 examined how Arab-speaking students ( N = 117) describe bullying behaviour in seven scenarios using Arabic and English terms. The procedure was administered in English in the international schools, and Arabic in the independent schools. English-speaking students often used the term “bullying”, whereas Arabic-speaking students often used behavioural descriptions (e.g., the term “solok sayea” (سلوك سيء) which translates to “bad behaviour”). These findings are discussed in relation to the definition and perspective of bullying among Arabic speakers. There is a need for further investigations to introduce a novel term for bullying within the Arabic language while considering cultural values, norms, and beliefs. This has the potential to promote heightened awareness and comprehension, enabling the formulation of customised intervention approaches, policies, and educational initiatives intended to prevent and alleviate bullying behaviours.

Keywords: bullying; Arabic; Arab; terminology; definition; perception; attitude; culture; aggression; violence; Middle East (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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