The Perception and Roles of School Mental Health Professionals Regarding School Bullying (Suluk Audwani) in Oman: A Qualitative Study in an Urban Setting

Abstract

With increasing mental health risks among school populations and prevalent bullying, school mental health professionals (SMHP) are crucial globally. This study explores the perspectives of SMHP on bullying in Omani schools, focussing on definitions, types, current practices, and future strategies. Involving 50 Omani SMHP from Muscat Governorate with at least three years of experience, data was collected through structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis. Six key themes emerged: The definition of bullying, its components, common types, current anti-bullying practices, challenges, and future suggestions. Bullying, termed "سلوكعدواني" (Suluk Audwani), meaning aggressive behavior, includes five components: perpetrators, victims, harmful behavior, spectators, and psychosocial factors. Verbal bullying, physical bullying, and cyberbullying are common and vary by age. SMHP frequently employ awareness-raising and psychological first aid. Challenges include resistance from students and parents and institutional barriers. In the future, SMHP will emphasize greater awareness to effectively address Suluk Audwani. Oman has adopted international best practices to recruit SMHP. SMHP's perspectives on Suluk Audwani reflect both their training and Omani cultural influences. Future research should explore various social strata to improve evidence-based understanding and prevention of Suluk Audwani.

Keywords: Omani schools; Suluk Audwani; bullying; focus group discussions; linguistic contexts; perception of bullying; school mental health programs.