The UAE protects children by enforcing laws that safeguard their rights.There are channels to report their abuse, and committees to oversee their welfare.
You can report child abuse to MoI through the hotline number 116111 or through the MoI’s Child Protection Centre's website and the 'Hemayati' (Arabic for protect me) app (available on Android and iOS).
Other channels:
Reporting abuse of children of determination
Report abuse of children of determination in Abu Dhabi to Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination via:
email: pod.cp@zho.gov.ae or
its hotline and WhatsApp number: 054-2003366.
Read related news coverage on WAM.
Contact Ministry of Education on hotline: 80051115 for any issues that affect the students' learning process negatively.
Report domestic violence through one of these channels on the website of the Ministry of Community Development.The ‘Child Protection Unit’ initiative
Ministry of Education (MoE) has launched a ‘Child Protection Unit’ initiative for the benefit of students of government and private schools across the UAE. The initiative is aimed at protecting children from all forms of harm, negligence and abuse which they may experience at school or home and maintaining their safety with regard to their physical, psychological and educational aspects.
To report child abuse case, call either the MoE’s Child Protection Unit on their dedicated number 80085 or the Ministry of Interior’s Child Protection Centre on 116111 or email the report to CPU@moe.gov.ae with supporting documents, if any.
Read more on the ‘Child Protection Unit’ initiative.
Child protection committee and centre
Ministry of Interior (MoI) established the Higher Committee for Child Protection in 2009 and the MoI’s Child Protection Centrein 2011 to undertake the role of developing, implementing and customising the initiatives and processes aiming at providing safety, security and protection for all children living in the UAE or even those coming as visitors. The committee plays a key role in maintaining the safety of children, because achieving justice and protection for children is a shared responsibility.
Nedaa service to find missing children
The Nedaa service alerts Facebook users in the area where a child has reportedly gone missing.
After the Child Protection Centre at Ministry of Interior is alerted by the competent authority about a child having gone missing in a specific area, the ministry sends an urgent alert to Facebook users in that particular area with basic information about the missing child. The Nedaa service is the first such service in the Middle East.
Child Safety Department of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs-Sharjah
The Child Safety Department (CSD) of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) in Sharjah aims to raise community awareness about the importance of children’s safety and their right to be protected from negligence, harm and exploitation. CSD works towards achieving its goals by developing national policies, designing and implementing initiatives and activities in collaboration with strategic partners and competent authorities. Read about CSD’s activities and initiatives to raise community awareness about children’s safety.
Follow CSD social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram.
Awareness campaign
An awareness campaign under the name 'Together to Prevent Child Abuse' was launched to raise community awareness and educate parents and teachers through seminars, courses and a media campaign about the various forms of child abuse and the ways to prevent it.
Hotlines
Schoolchildren can use the hotline number 80051115 to communicate directly with Ministry of Education regarding any issue that may affect their learning process. Education specialists supervise the hotline.
Banning corporal punishment
Ministry of Education aims to establish mutual respect between teachers and students, to support modern educational methods and banning corporal punishment and behaviour that are contrary to the UAE's traditions and customs.
Safe transportation
Several initiatives were launched across the country to ensure a safe transportation for students. These include:
Anti-bullying
The ‘Addressing Bullying in Schools:Training Manual’ (PDF, 242 MB) has been developed to assist schools in addressing bullying of students. It aims to empower schools with effective techniques for educating students about bullying and equipping them with attitudes and social skills that significantly reduce the likelihood of bullying. It also covers the roles and responsibilities of teachers, school counsellors, social workers and parents when they encounter instances of bullying and offers them practical guidance, based on research on bullying prevention and intervention.
The UAE’s Supreme Council for Motherhood & Childhood in cooperation with UNICEF, Ministry of Education and Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi launched the Guide for parents on anti-bullying (PDF, 120 KB). This guide will help parents identify if their child is a victim of bullying, or if he is bullying others and what can be done to stop it.
To report a bullying incident, please contact the Child Protection Unit, Ministry of Education at 80085.
Read also
Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 concerning child rights, also known as Wadeema's Law (PDF, 250 KB), stresses that all children must be provided with appropriate living standards, access to health services, education, equal opportunities in essential services and facilities without any kind of discrimination. The law protects children against all forms of negligence, exploitation, physical and psychological abuses.
In addition, smoking in public and private vehicles and indoor facilities where children are present is also prohibited under the law. Violators will be subject to penalties as set out by the law.
The law allows childcare specialists to remove children from their homes against parents' wishes and without judicial permission in cases of imminent danger. In less severe cases, specialists may intervene by visiting the child regularly, providing social services and mediating a solution between the family and the child.
Those who put children in danger, abandon them, neglect them, leave them without supervision, do not enroll them in school or register them upon their birth will be subject to a prison sentence or a fine or both. The law applies to all children up to the age of 18.
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