Sharjah 24: An engrossed audience heard all about building self-confidence among children and fighting bullying from two popular children’s authors as part of a panel discussion at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF).

The talk titled Bullying and Its Effects on Self-confidence in Children and Youth and moderated by Emirati writer and life coach Dr Walaa Ahmed Al Shehhi saw Riyadh-based Dr Iman Al Khatib and American Stacy Bauer take on questions from parents at the Cultural Forum of the 12-day event taking place at the Sharjah Expo Centre.

“Most important tip is to be non-judgemental, open and approachable so the child feels that they can say anything to you,” said Bauer, a mother of two who’s at the festival to promote her children’s book series Young Change Makers. “It is important to assure them that you won’t get mad for anything they tell you. You will have to have an open mind and an open heart and one thing I do a lot is ask my own kids about their opinion on what they think should be done.”

The Minneapolis-based kindergarten teacher also spoke about the often ‘unseen and unknown’ sides of bullying. “One day when my son came and told me that some people were being mean to him, I asked him to have compassion because often we don’t know what the other child who’s bullying must be going through. Just because you don’t see what’s happening with the child that’s bullying doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his own set of problems. In my child’s case, we found out that the bully was actually going through a lot with his parents going through a divorce. There are bullies for a reason,” explained Bauer whose latest paperback Bye-Bye Bully: A Story about Finding Your Voice, Courage, Kindness and Empathy was published last July.

Meanwhile, retired professor of English as a foreign language Dr Al Khatib told the audience about identifying the three parties involved in bullying. The bully, the bullied and the people around them. “Children coming from difficult families are the ones who often end up becoming the leaders of bullies,” said the Saudi children’s author. “And that’s because they are so stressed at home that they look to vent out all the negativity through bullying. They have no opinion in their family because nobody listens to them. And others who come from similar situations end up becoming their followers, operating under his or her umbrella. Which is why it is important for us to go back to the roots and not just treat the problem from the surface.”

Both went on to further elaborate on how bullying remains a significant issue affecting children and youth worldwide, with long-lasting effects on their self-confidence and well-being. The duo then offered parents in the audience explore strategies to mitigate its effects.