Healthcare workers in Sharjah are undergoing training to bolster the support offered by the medical profession to child victims of violence and abuse.
Sessions provided by Kanaf, a multi-agency child protection centre opened last month, aim to equip doctors, nurses and other staff members with the skills to help young patients open up about their ordeals so that safeguarding measures can be put in place.
The first of three stages of training involved teaching healthcare workers how to ask the right questions to coax sensitive information out of children, who in some cases will have been hurt by family members or other people known to them.
They were trained to ask Socratic questions, typically used by therapists and counsellors, which are open-ended queries designed to elicit natural responses rather than rehearsed answers to help get to the root of any potential issue.
The method is named after Greek philosopher Socrates and seeks to stimulate deep thinking and emotional exploration.
“Participants were introduced to the technique and were engaged in role-playing exercises involving a simulated interaction among a mother, a child, and a doctor," said Dr Bana Bouzaboon, mental health director at Kanaf, who led the presentation, which was held in partnership with Sharjah's Child Safety Department.
“This would provide a hands-on experience demonstrating how these questioning techniques can be effectively used in sensitive situations involving child victims of abuse.
“Socratic questions ... allow the child to use their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in their responses.”
She said the technique can be a crucial tool in uncovering cases of child abuse.
"Socratic questioning steers away from the conventional when/what/who and why questions that may elicit rehearsed responses, potentially crafted by individuals involved in the incident to evade legal scrutiny,” Dr Bouzaboon said.
She outlined a scenario in which a child who arrives at a hospital with a broken arm is directly asked, "Who did this to you?" which often results in a practised response.
“By reframing the question to something more open-ended, such as ‘Can you share with me about your day or what happened today?’ encourages the child to express their own thoughts and feelings in their own words,” she said.
“This approach might lead to a more candid revelation, such as, ‘During lunch, I accidentally dropped the spoon, which upset my father, and then he hit me'.”
Fifty doctors, nurses and administrative staff from Al Qasimi Women’s and Children’s Hospital took part in the opening workshop.
It covered counselling, guidance and how to recognise signs of child abuse.
Participants were encouraged to give children the opportunity to express themselves, focusing on attentive listening, understanding conveyed emotions, and recognising non-verbal cues.
They were told about the importance of patience, calmness and interactive engagement, and were advised against pressuring or rushing the child.
The workshop also explored the stages of child protection: listening to the child; empathising without judgment; inquiring about their needs, fears, and concerns; responding appropriately; understanding and believing the child; promoting their safety; and collaboratively devising plans for self-protection.
It emphasised providing comprehensive support to the child, assisting them in accessing information, services, and social support.
Dr Bouzaboon thanked the hospital's director, Safiya Alkhajeh, for her commitment to the initiative.
Ameena Al Refaei, the director of Kanaf, underlined the importance of tackling all forms of abuse against children.
"Kanaf's start has brought unprecedented co-operation across Sharjah, showing our commitment to human development and childhood care and contributing to the advancement of Sharjah and its society.”
She said the upcoming workshop in January and will train doctors on how to write initial forensic reports for child abuse cases presented to courts and prosecution departments.
A lifeline for young victims
The Kanaf child protection centre deals with cases involving children and teenagers up to the age of 18.
A dedicated team including members from the police, prosecution, social services, education regulator, healthcare and child safety departments collaborate closely to ensure the welfare of children involved in reported cases.
The centre's staff includes mental health consultants, co-ordinators and child care specialists.
In May, it launched a 300-hour training programme for psychologists, social workers and investigators in the emirate to help them handle cases involving children who are victims of violence or sexual assault.
Earlier this year, The National reported on a surge in the number of reported child abuse cases in Sharjah in 2022.
The Sharjah Child and Family Protection Centre said it had handled 3,487 reports from families, schools and children, up from 2,168 in 2021.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs
UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets
UAE v Oman - abandoned
Oman v Namibia - abandoned
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
How%20champions%20are%20made
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EDiet%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E7am%20-%20Protein%20shake%20with%20oats%20and%20fruits%0D%3Cbr%3E10am%20-%205-6%20egg%20whites%0D%3Cbr%3E1pm%20-%20White%20rice%20or%20chapati%20(Indian%20bread)%20with%20chicken%0D%3Cbr%3E4pm%20-%20Dry%20fruits%20%0D%3Cbr%3E7.30pm%20-%20Pre%20workout%20meal%20%E2%80%93%20grilled%20fish%20or%20chicken%20with%20veggies%20and%20fruits%0D%3Cbr%3E8.30pm%20to%20midnight%20workout%0D%3Cbr%3E12.30am%20%E2%80%93%20Protein%20shake%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20intake%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204000-4500%20calories%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESaidu%E2%80%99s%20weight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20110%20kg%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStats%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Biceps%2019%20inches.%20Forearms%2018%20inches%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
