The risks of misusing social networking programs
RAK Courts warned about the risks of misusing social networking programs, and its negative effects on family stability, and the department confirmed that the preoccupation of some family members with those programs, especially inside the house, led in turn to a reduce in chances of dialogue, understanding and silence taking over those houses, as well as planting suspicion and mistrust of the other person.
Chancellor Ahmed Mohammed Al Khatri, director of the department said: “The downside of the excessive use of social networking programs begins to emerge gradually as users of such programs become busy with these programs at the expense of the time dedicated for their families, and he pointed out that those programs have two sides, the first positive which is the speed of communication between people, and the other negative one involves the excessive use of those means the makers of which are keen to attract millions of people around the world, pointing out that moderation in the use of these programs help us benefit from them”. He also added: “Some weak minded people get drown to using these programs at the expense their family life, especially when the wife discovers that among those who have communications with her husband are female users, and here, family disputes and conflicts occur which might escalate to reach to courts”. He stressed on the need of awareness among young people in particular, on the seriousness of this issue on their family lives, especially of the newly married couples, as they are the most likely to fall in these programs’ traps, pointing out that there is a significant amount of family disputes arising due to this phenomenon. He continued: “addressing this negative phenomena can only be done through the intensification of awareness among the youth and all entities working together to warn the public about the risks of this phenomenon on the future of the family, and then find a successful solution for it before problems occur.
Mohammed Salah (RAK)
Family disputes and divorce rates fell in Ras Al Khaimah
RAK Courts Department revealed that there was a decline in family disputes in the emirate at high rates during the latter half of last year and the beginning of current year, where last month recorded the lowest rates of family disputes in the department which reached 48 cases.
Also last year record the first decline in the number of family disputes since the opening of the Department of Reform and Family Counseling in the emirate in 2006, where disputes fell to 732 compared with 824 in 2013, and last year family disputes among citizens recorded a big drop, as the department witnessed only 455 cases at a rate of about 62% of the total number of such cases, where the rates were in the past years ranging between 70 and 75% of the size of family disputes annually, in contrast, family disputes among Arab residents increased by 22% of the size of disputes, while the rest of the nationalities recorded 16%.
The study revealed a decline in family disputes related to housing after being the top cause of dispute for many years, as housing projects that have been implemented in all regions of the state contributed in this decline, while other causes have emerged to the top of the list including lack of understanding and dialogue between the spouses, along with the insistence of each of the spouses on their opinions.
In 2013, the department recorded the highest percentage of family disputes reaching 848 cases, 2558 of which were reconciled and reached an agreement, and 303 disputes were referred to courts, and 289 achieved. Last year recorded the first decline in the number of family disputes since the establishment of the department in 2006, where dispute rates fell to a 732 registered dispute 131 of which were reconciled and reached to an agreement, and court referrals also dropped to 238 cases while the rest of the cases were archived.
The department pointed that the rate of family disputes is continuing to decline this year, as January only recorded 48 dispute cases compared with only about 63 disputes monthly as the monthly average of disputes in the past year.
The report also reveals a decline in family disputes relating to housing in 2014 compared with previous years, against an increase in disputes relating to the lack of understanding and dialogue between the parties and the lack of harmony between the couples, as well as the husband constant traveling and staying away from home, where 13 wives insisted on divorce for these reason out of the total 17 disputes the department witnessed in the past year, the department also spotted a number of new types of disputes such as the hot-mindedness of the husband and the disclosure of marital secrets, and repeating the word of divorce, and the husband seizing his wife’s gold.
The Department of Reform and Family Counseling also witnessed a number of disputes concerning some husbands preventing their wives from visiting their families, where these disputes were reconciled and the couples reached an agreement, and the family counseling service launched by the department also contributed in solving many family disputes as they occurred, especially among the youth and newly married couples, and those who do not have a sufficient knowledge of how to deal with family disputes.
Mohammed Salah (RAK)
November records the lowest number of family disputes in Ras Al Khaimah
The Initiatives and development of necessary solutions to problems related to loans and the provision of appropriate housing which benefited a large number of young newlywed couples contributed in the decline of family disputes, as the monthly report of the Courts Department recorded the lowest number of family disputes in Ras Al Khaimah during last November by 59 cases, decreasing from August which recorded 80 cases and September which recorded 68 cases and October with 63 cases.
The report also revealed that 677 of family disputes were reconciled by the Department of Reform and Family Counseling since the beginning of the year, pointing out that the family advisors in the department succeeded in resolving most of these disputes with only 267 referred to the court by 32% of which 49 cases from last year, and 148 cases were reconciled and reached an agreement by 18% while 276 cases were archived by 37%, including 29 cases from last year, and 95 cases remained open at the department for the purpose of reaching a solution that satisfies all parties.
The report also showed that the number of cases of marital and family counseling received by the department reached since the beginning of the year 1695 cases, and the department succeeded in solving a lot of family disputes as they occurred by providing advice and guidance to couples, especially for young people with little experience, who due to social embarrassment usually avoid revealing any family disputes they might be facing, and the department recorded, during last November, the lower number of marital and family disputes compared to previous months as it recorded only 59 cases.
The report also revealed that alimony and failure to meet the needs of the house come at the top of the causes witnessed by the department in marital disputes by 248 cases, and as the second cause in 141 cases, while various other causes of family dispute led the parties to complain, on top of which was family members’ interventions, husband staying away from home, lack of understanding and dialogue between the parties, neglect and dereliction of family affairs, lying of the wife, stinginess of husband, the disclosure of marital secrets, custody and seeing the children, request to increase the alimony, the exchange of insults and beating, lack of attention to the family, spending long times in front of modern communication devices, and preventing the wife from visiting her family, pointing out that young people are the most to fall in the trap of marital disputes, and the lack of experience contributes to fueling the fire of family disputes for flimsy reasons especially between newlyweds.
RAK - Ahmed Abul Fotouh