The Women and Children Protection Department, in cooperation with American University in the Emirates, organised a virtual training course to promote a safe and healthy media culture to protect children.
Academic experts and specialists from both sides delivered the course lectures, with the participation of 33 employees from several press and media entities.
The participants were introduced to a number of crucial topics, including the Media effects on Children; the Social Responsibility of the Media; Challenges of the New Media; International Treaties on Children’s Rights; Establishing a Culture of Media Education; and Protecting Children from All Forms of Violence, Abuse and Negligence.
Fatima Al Beloushi, Head of the Awareness Section at the Women and Children’s Department of Dubai Police, confirmed that the training course reflects the Department’s keenness to establish bridges of communication with professionals from the press and media sector in the emirate and to raise their awareness on how they can contribute to the Force’s endeavours to protect children from harm.
During the course, the lecturers discussed the legal aspects of protecting children from harmful media content that promotes violence and encourages negative phenomena. They also raised the issue of how important it is to develop a media policy that takes children’s rights into consideration, the responsibility of the journalists toward their society, and the contributions of the media to social development. They highlighted the strengths of UAE Law concerning children and their rights and the relationship between the law and the social development of children.