Sharjah24: The Sharjah Social Services Department (SSSD) has released a guide titled “Early Detection of Child Abuse and Violence” as part of its “Teacher’s Guide 2025” series. This guide serves as an educational and awareness tool, focusing on the reality of children facing abuse, whether within their homes or in school environments.
The guide is structured into three main parts: how to recognise a child who is being abused, the responsibility of those around the child to observe and act, and the steps that relevant authorities should take to protect the child.
The department aims to maximise the guide’s outreach by distributing it to institutions and centres that focus on child welfare, in addition to making it available online through its official website. This publication supports the department’s wider efforts to promote child protection and raise public awareness around the dangers of abuse and violence.
The guide highlights the critical roles of both the family and the school in the life of a child, identifying them as the two main foundations of a child’s development and protection. The family is considered the first line of defence in shielding children from abuse. However, if a child continues to be subjected to violence and the family fails to intervene, the school must step in. The role of time is essential when it comes to early intervention.
It further notes that ongoing abuse typically stems from one of two major causes: either a lack of parental care and follow-up, or the fact that the source of abuse is a family member. In both cases, the school becomes the main actor in discovering and protecting the child, particularly when the family fails in its duty or becomes a source of harm.
Within this context, the guide aims to build the capacity of school staff to detect indicators of abuse in all its forms—physical, psychological, sexual, and others—by establishing a pre-emptive protection system rooted in early intervention.
Strengthening the school-family partnership
The guide also seeks to deepen cooperation between families and schools to build a strong, integrated social safety net that can offer a positive and supportive environment for children, both at home and in school, to enhance their social and academic wellbeing.
It also works to raise the competency of child protection partners by equipping educational staff with the tools needed to observe and detect abuse early. This includes coordination with child protection units in schools to ensure a strong and effective safeguarding partnership.
Another of the guide’s goals is to improve children’s chances of development and academic success through a responsive school-based protection system. This system would act quickly when abuse occurs, equipped with the tools to recognise early signs of harm. The guide underlines the need for early intervention and vigilance in detecting such changes.
The guide defines child abuse and violence in line with the UAE Federal Child Rights Law and the Social Welfare Law in Sharjah. It categorises abuse into seven primary types: physical, sexual, and psychological abuse; neglect; commercial exploitation; bullying; and cyber blackmail.
The guide is made up of three core sections. It begins with an introduction that defines abuse and violence and outlines their signs and symptoms. These are broken down into five key categories: behavioural changes, psychological signs, self-related indicators, physical symptoms, academic performance, and social interactions.
The second section lays out strategies for identifying abuse early, such as observation in school settings, dialogue-based interviews, routine physical exams, psychological evaluations, school-family communication, friendly complaint systems, academic performance reports, and group or expressive activities.
Procedures to follow in cases of abuse
The third and final part outlines the procedures that should be followed when a case of abuse is discovered. These include reporting the case, conducting an initial assessment to verify the abuse, offering preventive awareness to reduce the risk of recurrence, and reinforcing cooperation between school and family to protect the child and offer support in a secure environment.
In closing, the guide stresses the importance of collaborative efforts in creating a safe space for children. It calls for responsible and timely intervention, while highlighting the role of school staff in identifying abuse and supporting affected children. By empowering school personnel with early detection skills, the guide contributes to comprehensive child protection and promotes children’s educational and social wellbeing—through strong coordination between schools and child protection units in the broader community. This enables school staff to provide meaningful support and helps create a stable, safe atmosphere for all children.
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