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research
MONday, MARCH 15, 2010
The incidence of injustice to children in Oman is very low
Research on child
ill-treatment reveals
that male students and
poor achievers from
both genders are the
most affected
children, which itself is due to the parents
realisation, based on past experience, that
good treatment will give their children
a chance to grow up confident and selfreliant, thus overcoming the damaging
experiences which they may have been
subjected to earlier.
Differences
A
n important study entitled ‘Student-abuse among tenth and
eleventh graders in the light of
demographic variables in the Sultanate of
Oman’, conducted by a team of researchers from the College of Education at SQU
(including Dr Muna Al Bahraniyah, Dr
Basim Al Dahadhah, Dr Muna Al Jardaniyah and Dr Said Al Thafri) investigated
the phenomenon of ill-treatment of children within their families to establish its
extent and effects.
Dr Muna bint A Al Bahraniyah, Director of Student Counseling Center and
one of the key researchers, believes that
child ill-treatment is a dangerous global
problem which causes a number of short
and long-run negative psychological effects children who, in turn, may develop
symptoms of depression, anxiety, drug addiction, and aggressiveness. Many studies
have discovered an important correlation
between child ill-treatment and psychological disorders, like anxiety, obsessive
thinking and suicidal behaviour.
Statistics
Dr Muna added that statistics in certain countries reveal that the total number
of cases of cruelty to child is escalating.
Thus it has become important to raise
awareness of the need to diagnose such
cases and deal with them seriously, taking into consideration that the number
cases dealt with by doctors, teachers, and
social workers is impossible to estimate
accurately. This fact calls for more effort
by professionals, parents and educators to
achieve a fuller knowledge of suspected
cases of abuse, and that, Dr Muna explained was the reason for this study.
She went on to explain that the study
focused on finding effective solutions to
prevent the consequences caused by this
distressing problem and added that illtreatment in all its forms touches the essence of society since those affected by
it are children and adolescents who are
the most important sector of a nation, and
whose effective treatment will be a very
good investment for everyone. Moreover,
due to the gravity of this problem, preventive as well as therapeutic programmes
must be established to curb its spreading.
To address this issue, the present study
solicited the help of a large number of
informants, including students who were
recently abused in the hope that it will reveal some characteristics and demographic variables which will help educators and
decision makers.
The informants included a great number
of tenth and eleventh graders (1434) randomly selected from three learning districts, Muscat, Dakhiliya, and Batinah,
and the study used an ill-treatment measurement scale which assesses the degree
of physical and psychological cruelty as
well as that arising from neglect. It is interesting to note that the results showed
that the average degree of abuse was low
across both major and minor levels of the
study. This could be attributed to the good
performance of Omani families in bringing up and protecting the rights of their
The study showed differences in the
percentage of ill-treatment according to
gender and academic achievement. Males
are generally more exposed to abuse along
with poor achievers from both genders.
Dr Muna added that these two results can
be attributed to the fact that males may
have been subjected to difficult conditions in which their parents were unable
to differentiate between cruel treatment
and training their children to be resilient.
Moreover, Dr Muna added that since male
children are more violent, mischievous
and rebellious by nature, they may have
interpreted their parents’ cruel treatment
as abuse.
The study showed a strong correlation
between poor academic achievement and
child abuse: the poorer the achievement
the worse the abuse. Furthermore, abused
children lose self-confidence, become less
motivated to study and compete, and gradually lose their study skills. Differences in
the degree of abuse depended also on parents’ income and education: the lower the
income (less than RO 200) and the lower
the level of education (eg illiteracy), the
higher the degree of abuse.
The study also showed that the degree
of abuse also depended on the number of
children in the household: if the number is
above 11, there is greater abuse. In a relatively low-income family of 11 children,
parents will have less time to dedicate to
the care and correct upbringing of their
children, which will predictably increase
the possibility of child abuse. By contrast,
a family with fewer children will give
of sensitive upbringing which results
parents the chance to take better care of
in the least degree of abuse.
their offspring and decrease the degree of * Introducing parents to programmes exabuse.
plaining the concept of child abuse and
Dr Muna added that the study showed
its negative influence on children.
that the degree of abuse also depends on * Offering programmes to solve the
whether the child lives with his/her parproblems of illiterate parents, families
ents or grandparents or with a distant relawith more than 11 children, and those
tive; the closer the relationship the less
on low incomes whose children are excruelty is observed. Naturally children
posed to a higher degree of abuse.
may experience feelings of persecution, * Raising awareness among teachers and
inferiority and lack of attention (when
social workers of the importance of
living with a distant relative) which will
abuse and its effects on the academic
increase the possibility of abuse.
achievement of children.
* Conducting a survey to find out the
Recommendations
level of community awareness and
The study produced the following recunderstanding of the concept of abuse
ommendations:
and a study to discover family aware* Raising the awareness among Omani
ness of children’s (male and female)
families of the value and significance
rights.
Burning incense at home triggers asthma symptoms
A study reveals that Al Sharqiya
region has the highest
rates of the disease
A
study conducted by Dr Omar Al Rawas, Dr
Abdullah Al Maniri, and Dr Bazdawi Al Riyami
of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences
at SQU has proved that burning bakhour (local incense)
at home is a major cause of triggering asthma symptoms
in Omani children.
Asthma is caused by an infection of the airways which
ultimately causes chronic disease in the respiratory system of children and adults. It is considered a major health
hazard worldwide, but its rate of prevalence differs from
one country to another.
Acute allergy in the airways is
the main cause of this disease and
this can be the result of a number
of environmental reasons such
as virus infections, exposure to
dust, weather change, perfumes,
clothes moths. Hereditary also
plays a part.
The research carried out by the
SQU team showed that asthma is
widely spread among children in
R
the Sultanate with noticeably different rates from one
district to another. The Sharqiyah region was shown to
have the highest rates.
The researchers investigated the association between
exposure to bakhour and asthma prevalence among
Omani children. A questionnaire was distributed for this
purpose whose responses showed that 90 per cent of the
families included in the study burn bakhour in bedrooms
where children are present, despite the fact that it may
hurt them.
Bakhour, one of the major sources of smoke in the
homes of Oman and many Gulf countries, is usually
extracted from materials such as frankincense, herbs,
flowers and oils. Due to slow and incomplete burning,
its smoke includes many gases and poisonous chemicals
like hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and benzene.
Though the study has not established a direct association between
incense burning at home and
asthma occurrence, it has shown
that bakhour is a major factor in
triggering asthma’s symptoms
among children. The researchers
recommended that asthmatic children, as well as susceptible adults,
should not be exposed to bakhour,
because they may be adversely affected by its smoke.
A new book on Oman’s Law of Commerce
Detailed explanation of the laws pertaining to the bill of
T
exchange, promissory note, and cheque
he third volume
of
Commercial Papers on
Oman’s Law of Commerce by Dr Adel A al
the laws pertaining to
Miqdadi of the College
its multiple copying,
of Law was published
its falsification and the
by SQU’s Research
consequences of such
Council in 2008. It
an offence.
comprises three main
The second secparts and 14 sections.
tion deals with the
It explains the laws pernegotiation of a bill
taining to three comof exchange, and the
mercial papers; bills of
different ways of enexchange, promissory
dorsing it, for examDr Adel A al Miqdadi
notes, and cheques as
ple
by the payee or the
mentioned in the Omani
Law of Commerce number 55 for the year bearer and also endorsements associated
with property transfer, attorneys as proxy
1990 and included in articles 415-578.
The introduction defines commercial and security. All of these are properly
papers, ie their characteristics and func- defined and their conditions and effects
tions, and the distinction between commer- minutely explained. The third section
cial papers, bank notes and stocks. It also deals with laws pertaining to the payment
outlines the law of exchange and explains of bills, and the procedures for their acceptance, including acceptance through
its principles.
intervention.
Bills of exchange
Moreover, the laws for settling bills
This part addresses the laws pertaining by all guarantors, jointly and severally
to bills of exchange and is divided into three are explained, as are the laws of prosections. The first part deals with bill of ex- test and protest withdrawal around payor irrelevant based on such limitations.
change and the conditions for its creation. ing or refusing to pay a bill. The secPromissory note
This includes its obligatory particulars: for tion concludes by clarifying the laws
Definitions and conditions concerning
example what it must contain to be legally pertaining to a bill’s non-acceptance,
accepted, and the optional particulates that the law of limitations and its dura- creation of a promissory note are explained
can be attached to it. In addition it explains tion and the pursuant claims relevant in the second part of the book. Its endorse-
Remote Sensing
and GIS Center
ment types similar to those relevant for
bills of exchange. Conditions for payment
of a promissory note, its limitations, and
claims resulting from, it are further elucidated.
Cheques
This part is divided into seven sections:
The first defines a cheque and conditions
for its creation, and matters associated
with multiple copies and falsification of
particulars. The second section deals with
the sum or amount of cheque with a detailed explanation of penalties resulting
from the criminal offence of issuing one
without sufficient funds. In the third section we find laws covering the same kinds
of endorsement relevant for bills of exchange and promissory notes. The fourth
section explains the laws on the payment
of cheques by several signatories jointly
and severally while the fifth section discusses refusal to pay, its effects, and the
way to protest against non-payment. The
sixth section deals with a cheque’s limitations, and claims based them and the seventh section focuses on the laws covering
the different kinds of cheques for example
those crossed, those credited to accounts,
and certified and travellers cheques.
By Andy Kwarteng
emote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) have emerged as invaluable technologies for ecosystem
analysis, evaluation and monitoring.
Remote sensing which involves the
use of satellite imagery continues to
be an integral part of projects dealing
with mineral and petroleum exploration, pollution detection, weather
prediction, commercial fishing,
rangeland monitoring, crop forecasting, urban development and management studies and many more. The
spectrum of remote sensing technology, however, is broad and invariably
requires careful tailoring of response
to the problem. A major challenge
to users of remote sensing is how to
match the appropriate technology to
the problem at hand. GIS entails database analysis, description, explanation, pattern prediction and processes
at geographic scales.
The Remote Sensing and GIS
Center at SQU co-ordinates remote
sensing and GIS activities and research projects within SQU, and
between the University, ministries,
industry, and institutions outside the
Sultanate. The centre also provides
technical support and guidance to
national user agencies and the community at large in order to enhance
co-operation, in addition to organising training courses, workshops,
seminars and conferences relating to
remote sensing and GIS at the national and international levels. The centre
is equipped with a state-of-the-art image processing laboratory for teaching, short courses and research. The
image processing and GIS software
consist of the most recent versions
PCI Geomatica, ENVI, ArcGIS, and
other complimentary software.
The centre has collaborated with
scientists at SQU in executing the following research projects since 2002;
• Assessment and modelling of the
oil spill fate in the coastal region
of Sultanate of Oman.
• The use of GIS and remote sensing to monitor and analyse urban
growth in the Greater Muscat
• Coastal erosion along Al Batinah
• Al Jabal Al Akhdar initiative-conservation and sustainable development in a fragile arid mountain
ecosystem
• Bar Al Hikman Pleistocene to
modern carbonate system
• Diamond potentiality in the kimberlitic of the Batain Nappes,
Eastern Oman
The centre teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in remote
sensing and GIS at the Department of
Earth Sciences and the Department
of Civil and Architectural Engineering. The centre also supervises MSc
and PhD thesis in these departments.
The Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, in collaboration
with the Department of Electrical and
Computer Engineering and the Remote Sensing and GIS Center have
created an MSc Programme in Geomatics Engineering.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in conjunction with
the world’s producers of operational
meteorological satellites have established Centres of Excellence (CoE)
worldwide for maximum utilisation
of satellite data for environmental
applications, research and strong and
continuous training programmes.
There are currently 12 of such centres in the world. The WMO Centre
of Excellence, Muscat, was inaugurated at SQU in February 2006 as the
7th of such centre in the world, and is
co-ordinated by the Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation (Civil Aviation Affairs) and
the SQU Remote Sensing and GIS
Center. The CoE’s activities are well
supported by European Organization
for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). Some
150 weather forecasters and environmental scientists from the Arab and
southwest Asian countries have been
trained since the establishment of the
CoE in Oman. The CoE actively participated in the High Profile Training
Event (HPTE), the first global training event through the Internet, which
was organised by the WMO together
with the other partners in October
2006. Among some of the CoE activities is a yearly two weeks workshop
on EUMETSAT Satellite Applications sponsored by EUMETSAT. The
centre recently participated in the
Internet-based training on Detecting/
Nowcasting/Forecasting Dust Clouds
using Satellite Data that was organised by EUMETSAT in the first week
of March 2010.