Al Mawakeb School hosts WWE superstars for collective fight against bullying

Tuesday 03 May 2016

Dubai - MENA Herald: In a bid to raise awareness among students on the consequences of bullying, Al Mawakeb School Al Garhoud recently hosted stars from the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) – a rehearsed wrestling show especially popular amongst youngsters across the globe. Natalya and Alicia Fox – female superstars who recently participated in Dubai’s first ‘Live Dune Bash Tour’ - teamed up with the school and Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) under a program titled ‘Be a STAR’.
During the course of the event, the stars educated eighty 7th and 8th grade students on the various types of bullying that surface in schools and society, such as physical and verbal, and also discussed at length the proliferation of cyber-bullying experienced on social media. Members of the audience also learned some combative methods to tackle incidences of bullying with confidence, and were encouraged to report cases to the authority instead of being a bystander.
Mona Bou Hamdan, Head of Section at Al Mawakeb School, expressed delight over the ‘Be a STAR’ event: “It was a pleasure to host the WWE stars. They provided valuable information to help us tackle a crucial subject. Not only did they address all kinds of bullying, they also substantiated the talk with personal anecdotes that enabled us to further be inspired by their efforts.”
Speaking with enthusiastic and loyal fans, Natalya and Alicia Fox inspired the girl students to become confident citizens, and to believe that each one is a star in her own right. “This activity was an eye-opener on so many levels. I learned about the ‘Be a STAR initiative’, and were urged to differentiate between reality and entertainment. They also reminded us to ensure that our actions demonstrated respect towards people from all walks of life,” said a student of Grade 8.
A 2015 survey of more than 1,000 Dubai students by the International Journal of Preventive Medicine Research of the American Institute of Science highlighted that 40% of the students had been physically attacked by their peers. Following this, KHDA reinforced its zero-tolerance policy for bullying in all forms within the parents-school contract introduced in the academic year of 2015-2016.
Since its initiation in 2011, ‘Be a STAR’s’ anti-bullying rallies, resources, and programs have reached more than 300,000 children globally. Academia Management Solutions International – the body managing Al Mawakeb Schools – is committed to empowering its students and arming them with the right skills and education to fight challenges in society.

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