COMMUNITY OF STAKEHOLDERS: FIGHTS AGAINST BULLYING

NIÑO M. LAMPA

For the past several decades, the society has been facing a lot of different problems which includes young people engaging in bullying. According to the study conducted by the United Nations in 2009 about children who suffer from violence, bullying got the most prevalent issue among school-based violence.

International and local studies have asserted that alarming situation of bullying and school violence which involve Filipino children. The intensity of violence has reached a disturbing rate that pushed policy makers to pass Republic Act N. 10627, an Act requiring all elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies to prevent and address the acts of bullying in their institutions. This law describe bullying as any severe or repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another student that has the effect of actually causing or placing the latter in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to his property; creating a hostile environment at school for the other student; infringing on the rights of the other student at school; or materially and substantially disrupting the education process or the orderly operation of a school.

This phenomenon is widespread and every individual must take part in addressing it through cooperation with the officials in implementing the rules and put sanctions for those who are found guilty. A multidisciplinary action and approach should be made with the involved, victims and aggressors, together with their parents, school personnel, non-school officer and government security units to achieve the ultimate goal of preventing if not stopping violence among the learners.

The author is Teacher

-oOo

III at San Pedro Saug Elementary School, Lubao, Pampanga