STOP, REPORT, DEFEND!
FROILAN G. ISIP
There are so many bullying scenarios that it can be hard for a parent to recognize when it’s happening. From schoolyard intimidation to violence to name calling to sexual harassment to cyber bullying, parents and kids need to be informed and educated on how to stop bullying. Whether your child is a victim of a bully, or whether you suspect your child is the bully, or whether you just want to keep informed of the topic, arming yourself with knowledge is a great tactic for all parents. Republic Act 10627 also known as Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 was signed by former President Aquino last September 12, 2013 to address the rising risk of bullying. Under the law, all elementary and secondary schools are required to adopt policies to address the existence of bullying in their respective institutions. Such policies shall be regularly updated and must include certain provisions as a minimum. One such provision is a prohibition on bullying in both school premises and in non school-related locations if the act/s in question create an “unfriendly environment” at school for the victim, break on his rights or disrupt the educational process. A provision prohibiting retaliation against those who report bullying and through a system of anonymously reporting bullying acts is also required. After how many years, is the law really catered on the effect and impact of bullying? Diverse studies show that every 7 minutes a child is bullied at school and 160,000 children miss school each day due to a fear of bullying. The arguments logic and impact is clear. A child is bullied in school will exhibit long-lasting psychological defects well into adulthood. Likewise, a new study published in Psychological Science shows that serious illness, struggling to retain a regular job, and poor social relationships are exposed to bullying as a child. The study observed that these adults were more than twice as likely to have difficulty in either keeping a job or saving their income compared to those not exposed to bullying. Therefore, bullying is not just harmless child’s play; it has the potential of becoming a serious generational problem of national proportions, which unfortunately is precisely what the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 addressed.
Everyone must take part to save innocent children from being harmed and bullied by others. Parents, teachers and even the community must take a close supervision with their children by encouraging them to disclose if something suspicious is happening on the members of the family. Through this, the lifelong effect of bullying can be eliminated or anticipated ahead of time. Establishing rapport with the members of the family may help a lot also to closely monitor ones activities. Together, let’s defend our children; let’s report the bullies, and let’s stop bullying once and for all.
-oo0ooThe
I from Floridablanca New Settlement Elementary School
author is a Master Teacher