RIYADH: The Ministry of Education’s counseling department has approved the Rifq Program for the physical and psychological well-being of students.

Nabil Mohammad Al-Budair, director of counseling for boys, said the program aims to reduce violence in public schools, such as beatings, forms of humiliation and sexual violence.

Al-Budair said students displaying violent behavior are likely to suffer from poor self-esteem, have poor family relations at home, and mistakenly believe that violence is the way to resolve disputes.

He said the program provides pupils, the school community and local community with several activities to tackle this situation. This is done by using educational alternatives for punishment, assisting pupils most likely to be abused, behavioral counseling and a focus on the time and places where abuse is most likely to occur.

He said pupils and employees would be encouraged to provide written reports on cases of violence. It was important for schools to have early intervention mechanisms in the form of therapy and activities focusing on changing behavior.

Al-Budair said the ministry would be working with the Social Affairs Ministry to address violence in schools with counseling.