The Department of Education is besieged with reports regarding bullying. Media reports centered on exclusive schools where cases have made the national headlines and even involved parents who are over-protective of their children without knowing how their words got into it. With these, the Department reminded all school officials of the contents of DepEd Order No.40, series of 2012 which was issued on May 14. 2012. The order, also known as the “DepEd Child Protection Policy”, provides guidelines and policies on protecting school children from abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, bullying and other forms of abuse.
Bullying has been legally defined as the willful aggressive behavior directed towards a particular victim who may be out-numbered, younger, weak, with disability, less confident or otherwise vulnerable.
But who is the bully and how do we know that a child is being bullied? And how can we help both of them?
According to Dr. Nina Halili- Jao, the attitude of the bully is delivered from watching more violent shows at home. This habit opens up avenues for misbehavior at home resulting into less positive peer influences. Likewise, the absence of adult guidance at home produces less adult role models for the child. Instead of having their parents as role models, they adopt the attitude and behavior seen from violent shows and this exposes them into real fights outside. In some cases, there are those who suffer from forceful parental discipline which forces them to vent their ire to those outside the family, more particularly to their weaker school mates.
It is even taxing to identify a bullied child. It requires a deeper study and analysis of a victim’s total personality to determine if he has been bullied or fallen victim to a bully. Psychological studies reveal that a bullied child feels socially isolated and withdraws himself from the social circle. A Bullying victim develops low self-regard and shows decline in his level of functioning. He also avoids a place, particularly the place where bullying occurred. Although there can be no much physical remarks, the psychological effect of the act affects his personality.
The role of the school is to listen and learn to accept the victim. Understanding and appropriate assistance should be extended to the bullied child. If possible, someone needs to act as teacher-mentor to provide a secure base where the child can return to in times of distress or intimidation. Being always in the company of true friends also lessens the opportunity of the bully to pick on the victim.
For the child bully, he certainly needs professional assistance because of the need to stop the circle of the violence and prevent him from being a juvenile delinquent and an adult sociopath.
By: MADELAINE M.SABA | Teacher I | JUSTICE EMILIO ANGELES GANCAYCO MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL | Orion, Bataan
