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CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKROUND

Introduction

It is a fact that school is a sacred place where students get knowledge and proper guidance that

helps them to become good human beings. School in the modern time is treated as the most suitable,

active and formal agency of education. As per the changing need of the hour, school develops and grows

with its specific goals. It emerged out of the demand for education and pressure on the parents regarding

their educational pursuit. For all-round development of the individual school has a package of programs.

Through its different activities, it draws out the hidden potentialities of the person and develops them in a

proper way. School helps in developing and cultivating good and higher values like truth, sympathy, love,

cooperation. Through different social interactions and moral teachings, it spreads the message of righteous

living in a society. It also cultivates the values of dignity of work and labor and prepares them to face any

challenge in the future to solve their bare necessities.

But now a days this definition has changed. Now the competition is quite tougher among students;

as a result most of the students get frustrated soon either from the fellows or from the teachers even in a

small matter.

The increasing number of cases of violent incidents inside a school is making parents terrified of

sending their children to schools. Parents of these days are really concerned over this issue because they

fear that their child will be innocent victims of some ill-tempered bullies or violent children.

Bullying is a serious problem in homes, schools and communities. Often dismissed as an

adolescent “rite of passage,” research clearly indicates bullying is learned behavior and detrimental to the

academic, physical, social and emotional development of all involved – bullies, targets and the bystanders

who witness it. Bullying is not only a problem of youth but is one that spans all ages. Despite volumes of
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research, countless “anti-bullying” programs and increased scrutiny by the media, bullying continues to

pervade culture and schools. It is a complex social issue requiring determination, leadership and courage to

address. Although it is a difficult challenge, it cannot be ignored. A wave of recent bullying incidents with

tragic outcomes has shed a renewed light on this issue. The advent of technology allowing for impulsive,

anonymous and rapid communication, has expanded the opportunities for bullying to a degree that

necessitates more innovative and immediate responses than ever before.

School bullying has been identified as a major problem in many countries around the world.

Everybody has a story they can tell about it. It is imperative that bullying is stopped within schools. It can

create a hell on earth for someone who is victimized, and can seriously threaten that person’s opportunities

in life. Equally important, the social climate of a school is a model of the world outside. It is where people

develop a large part of their morality, their understanding of how the world works and their sense of

responsibility towards the society they live in. Bullying is devastating in any shape or form, and

cyberbullying is its newest expression. A number of young people have committed suicide as a result of

cyberbullying. Suicide is tragic and final. Suicide as a result of bullying is a startling and hard-hitting

indictment on the schools and societies in which it occurs. But there are many more cases of bullying that

do not reach this utterly hopeless and irretrievable point but must still be dealt with if people are to live in

just, egalitarian and humane societies in which children are able to reach their potential academically,

socially and psychically. Although these cases have the most visible impacts, bullying is much more than

this. It can be psychological. It can include acts of exclusion and isolation, humiliation, name-calling,

spreading false rumors and teasing. It can involve the extortion of money and the theft of possessions. It

can be sexual. It can be done by and against girls. Although cuts and bruises are the external signs of

physical bullying, research shows that the internal hurts from psychological bullying can be just as painful.
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Recent research also shows that reported cases of bullying are only the tip of the iceberg: the bulk is below

the surface and hard to detect.

There was an instance that a student is standing at the schoolyard swings, her entire body is

shaking and it’s impossible for her to keep the tears from running down her cheeks. The sound from their

scornful laughter every time they kicked her still echoes in her head. The contents of her backpack are

spread all over the schoolyard. She’s given up hope that tomorrow is going to be any better. Every day

hundreds of thousands of children in Sweden and in the rest of the world live through the hell of bullying.

They walk to school with a stone of anxiety in their tummy, but are these children the only ones with

anxiety? Could it be that bullying is something that goes on not between a perpetrator and a victim but

instead a psychological interaction between two victims? Or is bullying a display of power structures

between a victim and his/her superiors? Or could it be a display of sadistic behavior from a perpetrator?

Everyone who ever has been part of a group context has probably in one way or the other come in contact

with the problems of group interaction that people today label as bullying. This considering that bullying in

no way is a new phenomenon. The term ‘mobbing’ can be traced as far back as the French revolution and

the concept of ‘mobile vulgus’ or ‘mob’, which is Latin for changeable and unreliable crowd. In other words

people gathering, using violence if necessary, to influence and change a situation that they believe needs

changing. In writings from the early 18th century one can read about older pupils harassing younger pupils

in the purpose to uphold hierarchies (Frånberg, 2002). In other words, bullying as a phenomenon is

something that exits in all kinds of context where groups gather. Some might think that bullying is mainly a

children’s problem. Unfortunately that is not the case. Every day thousands of adults go to work knowing

that they will be harassed during their workday. Bullying in the workplace has been academically

investigated since early 1980’s (Leymann, 1996).

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In the light of the afore-mentioned situations, the proponent of this research decided to conduct a

study on the practices of bullying by first and second year maritime students in Central Luzon College of

Science and Technology enrolled in the first semester for academic year 2014-2015.

Conceptual Framework

The general problem of this study is to find out the practices on bullying of maritime students in

Central Luzon College of Science and Technology enrolled in the first semester for Academic Year 2014 -

2015. The researcher adapted the IV-DV-IV Conceptual Scheme.

Figure 1 is a paradigm showing the conceptual framework of the study.

The first box contains the intervening variables which include the profile of the respondents such as

age, gender, height, weight, civil status, religion, nationality, monthly income of the family, program and

year and length of stay in Central Luzon College of Science and Technology.

The second box contains the independent variable which is the experiences on bullying by other

students and the third box has the dependent variable which is about the practices on bullying of the

maritime students.
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IV DV IV

Profile of the
Respondents
 Age
 Gender
 Height
 Weight
 Civil status
 Religion
 Nationality Experiences Practices on Bullying
on Being Bullied By Other Students
 Monthly Income Other Students
of the Family
 Program and
Year
 Length of stay in
Central Luzon
College of
Science and
Technology

Figure 1

A Paradigm Showing the Conceptual Framework of the Study

Statement of the Problem

The general problem of this study is to find out the practices on bullying of maritime students in

Central Luzon College of Science and Technology enrolled in the first semester for Academic Year 201-

2015.

Specifically, the study will answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 age;
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1.2 gender;

1.3 height;

1.4 weight;

1.5 civil status;

1.6 religion;

1.7 nationality;

1.8 monthly income of the family;

1.9 program and year; and

1.10 length of stay in Central Luzon College of Science and Technology?

2. What are the practices of maritime students on bullying?

3. What is the correlation of the profile of the respondents and their practices on bullying?

Hypothesis

There is no significant correlation between the profile of the respondents and their practices on
bullying.

Significance of the Study

This study may have significance in terms of its contribution to the improvement of life of the

following:

Students. Students will be the ones directly affected by this study. The findings of this study may

serve as a basis in bringing out the real situation of bullying in this institution. Thus, will likewise serve as a

basis for coming up with a clear implementing rules and regulations on bullying.

Faculty. As the main agent of education, teachers would benefit from this study. They will be

helped to identify bullies and bullied in their classes thereby helping their students develop skills for
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handling bullies through role-playing, classroom discussions about the motivation and effects of bullying to

sensitize students and promote self-awareness thus, learning the proper ways to address bullying.

Parents. The parents’ utmost concern is to make sure that their children get the highest protection

and safety in school where they are enrolled in possible. With the findings of this study, and with a clear

implementing rules and regulations on bullying, they can be rest assured that their children are in the

hands of people running the best schools in the city.

School Administrators. Findings of this study may provide the school administrators with very

vital information on their school’s status on bullying, areas which need further improvement and areas that

need strengthening would then be recognized. They can make this be a part of the curriculum where

students learn to identify bullying language and actions in themselves and others and be taught positive

communication skills. This knowledge will help create a more positive environment where bullying is less

likely to occur.

Commission on Higher Education (CHEd). As the local arm of the government in ensuring

quality in tertiary education, the Commission on Higher Education may benefit from this study. With the

very vital information that would come out from this study, they would have a basis for determining the

extent by which private tertiary education institutions have been actually complying with their requirements

as far as Republic Act No. 10627 (Anti-Bullying Act of 2013) IRR - Includes Sexual Orientation and Gender

Identity is concerned.

Community. Since private educational institutions are seen as an alternative to the more

affordable but congested state and local universities and colleges, the community may be assured of

highest protection and safety of their children possible as an eventual result of this study. They will also be

made aware that they can be part in planning bullying prevention and intervention programs and setting

measurable and achievable goals to ensure everyone understands the problem and their role in stopping it.
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Future Researchers may benefit from this study by using this as a basis for replication in another

time and place.

Scope and Limitations

This is a study on practices on bullying of maritime students enrolled in Central Luzon College of

Science and Technology for the Academic Year 2014-2015.

Variables which are included in this study are the profile of the respondents in terms of age,

gender, height, weight, civil status, religion, nationality, monthly income of the family and program and year;

and practices of maritime students on bullying.

The respondents of the study will be limited to first and second year maritime students of Central

Luzon College of Science and Technology enrolled for the first semester of Academic Year 2014-2015.

Definition of Terms

The following terms and phrases are defined operationally and for a better understanding of this

study.

Bullying. Bullying is defined 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 another student at school; or materially and substantially disrupting the education

process or the orderly operation of a school.

These acts include: unwanted physical contact between the bully and the victim like punching,

pushing, shoving, kicking, slapping, tickling, headlocks, inflicting school pranks, teasing, fighting and the
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use of available objects as weapons; any act that causes damage to a victim’s psyche and/or emotional

well-being; any slanderous statement or accusation that causes the victim undue emotional distress; and

“cyber- bullying”.

These acts also include gender-based bullying, which is any act that humiliates or excludes a

person on the basis of perceived or actual sexual orientation and sexual identity (SOGI).

Bullied. This is the person or the victim who experienced hearing mean words or hurtful things

from others, or who is making fun by other person, or calling him or her mean and hurtful names; teasing

more than just once in a mean and hurtful way; completely ignoring or excluding him or her from their group

of friends or leaving him or her out of things on purpose; hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving around, or

locking him or her inside a room; threatening or forcing him or her to do things he or she does not like to do;

telling lies or spreading false rumors about him or her or sending mean notes that causes the victim undue

emotional distress and trying to make other students dislike him or her; and making mean comments on his

or her race or color and religion that has the effect of actually causing or placing the latter in reasonable

fear of physical or emotional harm.

Bully. This is the person who is saying mean or hurtful things, or making fun of other person, or

calling others mean and hurtful names; teasing more than just once in a mean and hurtful way; completely

ignoring or excluding others from their group of friends or leaving them out of things on purpose; hitting,

kicking, pushing, shoving around, or locking others inside a room; threatening or forcing them to do things

they do not like to do; telling lies or spreading false rumors about others or sending mean notes that

causes the victim undue emotional distress and trying to make other students dislike him or her; and

making mean comments on others’ race or color and religion that has the effect of actually causing or

placing the latter in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm

Practices. It is an established way of doing something, the process of repeating something many

times.
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Practices on bullying. The process of repeatedly doing or saying mean or hurtful things, or

making fun of him or her, or calling him or her mean and hurtful names; teasing more than just once in a

mean and hurtful way; completely ignoring or excluding him or her from their group of friends or leave him

or her out of things on purpose; hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving around, or locking him or her inside a

room; threatening or forcing him or her to do things he or she does not like to do; telling lies or spreading

false rumors about him or her or sending mean notes that causes the victim undue emotional distress and

trying to make other students dislike him or her; and making mean comments on his or her race or color

and religion that has the effect of actually causing or placing the latter in reasonable fear of physical or

emotional harm.
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CHAPTER 2

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This chapter presents relevant theories and related literature and studies used in the study.

Related Theories

This study is guided by Jean Piaget’s Moral Development Theory (1950).

Moral Development Theory is defined as the process through which children develop proper

attitudes and behaviors toward other people in society, based on social and cultural norms, rules, and laws.

Moral development is a concern for every parent. Teaching a child to distinguish right from wrong

and to behave accordingly is a goal of parenting.

Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, explored how children developed moral reasoning. He rejected

the idea that children learn and internalize the rules and morals of society by being given the rules and

forced to adhere to them. Through his research on how children formed their judgments about moral

behavior, he recognized that children learn morality best by having to deal with others in groups. He

reasoned that there was a process by which children conform to society's norms of what is right and wrong,

and that the process was active rather than passive.

Piaget found two main differences in how children thought about moral behavior. Very young

children's thinking is based on how actions affected them or what the results of an action were. For

example, young children will say that when trying to reach a forbidden cookie jar, breaking 10 cups is worse

than breaking one. They also recognize the sanctity of rules. For example, they understand that they

cannot make up new rules to a game; they have to play by what the rule book says or what is commonly

known to be the rules. Piaget called this "moral realism with objective responsibility." It explains why young

children are concerned with outcomes rather than intentions.

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Older children look at motives behind actions rather than consequences of actions. They are also

able to examine rules, determining whether they are fair or not, and apply these rules and their

modifications to situations requiring negotiation, assuring that everyone affected by the rules is treated

fairly. Piaget felt that the best moral learning came from these cooperative decision-making and problem-

solving events. He also believed that children developed moral reasoning quickly and at an early age.

Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, extended Piaget's work in cognitive reasoning

into adolescence and adulthood. He felt that moral development was a slow process and evolved over

time. Still, his six stages of moral development, drafted in 1958, mirrors Piaget's early model. Kohlberg

believed that individuals made progress by mastering each stage, one at a time. A person could not skip

stages. He also felt that the only way to encourage growth through these stages was by discussion of moral

dilemmas and by participation in consensus democracy within small groups. Consensus democracy was

rule by agreement of the group, not majority rule. This would stimulate and broaden the thinking of children

and adults, allowing them to progress from one stage to another.

PRECONVENTIONAL LEVEL. The child at the first and most basic level, the preconventional

level, is concerned with avoiding punishment and getting needs met. This level has two stages and applies

to children up to 10 years of age.

Stage one is the Punishment-Obedience stage. Children obey rules because they are told to do so

by an authority figure (parent or teacher), and they fear punishment if they do not follow rules. Children at

this stage are not able to see someone else's side.

Stage two is the Individual, Instrumentation, and Exchange stage. Here, the behavior is governed

by moral reciprocity. The child will follow rules if there is a known benefit to him or her. Children at this

stage also mete out justice in an eye-for-an-eye manner or according to Golden Rule logic. In other words,
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if one child hits another, the injured child will hit back. This is considered equitable justice. Children in this

stage are very concerned with what is fair.

Children will also make deals with each other and even adults. They will agree to behave in a

certain way for a payoff. "I'll do this, if you will do that." Sometimes, the payoff is in the knowledge that

behaving correctly is in the child's own best interest. They receive approval from authority figures or

admiration from peers, avoid blame, or behave in accordance with their concept of self. They are just

beginning to understand that others have their own needs and drives.

CONVENTIONAL LEVEL This level broadens the scope of human wants and needs. Children in

this level are concerned about being accepted by others and living up to their expectations. This stage

begins around age 10 but lasts well into adulthood, and is the stage most adults remain at throughout their

lives.

Stage three, Interpersonal Conformity, is often called the "good boy/good girl" stage. Here, children

do the right thing because it is good for the family, peer group, team, school, or church. They understand

the concepts of trust, loyalty, and gratitude. They abide by the Golden Rule as it applies to people around

them every day. Morality is acting in accordance to what the social group says is right and moral.

Stage four is the Law and Order, or Social System and Conscience stage. Children and adults at

this stage abide by the rules of the society in which they live. These laws and rules become the backbone

for all right and wrong actions. Children and adults feel compelled to do their duty and show respect for

authority. This is still moral behavior based on authority, but reflects a shift from the social group to society

at large.
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POST-CONVENTIONAL LEVEL. Some teenagers and adults move beyond conventional morality

and enter morality based on reason, examining the relative values and opinions of the groups with which

they interact. Few adults reach this stage.

Correct behavior is governed by the sixth stage, the Social Contract and Individual Rights stage.

Individuals in this stage understand that codes of conduct are relative to their social group. This varies from

culture to culture and subgroup to subgroup. With that in mind, the individual enters into a contract with

fellow human beings to treat them fairly and kindly and to respect authority when it is equally moral and

deserved. They also agree to obey laws and social rules of conduct that promote respect for individuals

and value the few universal moral values that they recognize. Moral behavior and moral decisions are

based on the greatest good for the greatest number.

Stage six is the Principled Conscience or the Universal/Ethical Principles stage. Here, individuals

examine the validity of society's laws and govern themselves by what they consider to be universal moral

principles, usually involving equal rights and respect. They obey laws and social rules that fall in line with

these universal principles, but not others they deem as aberrant. Adults here are motivated by individual

conscience that transcends cultural, religious, or social convention rules. Kohlberg recognized this last

stage but found so few people who lived by this concept of moral behavior that he could not study it in

detail.

This theory is relevant to this study because it is the process through which children develop

proper attitudes and behaviors toward other people in society, based on social and cultural norms, rules,

and laws.
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Related Literature

The related literature and studies cited enhanced understanding of the study in broader

perspective.

School bullying refers to all types of bullying done on school property, whether it is peer-to-peer

bullying, bullying of younger children by older children, or bullying in which a teacher is either a victim or a

culprit.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly a third of all students aged 12 – 18

reported having been bullied at school in 2007, some almost daily. This article gives a general background

on school bullying. There are different categories of school bullying. One is pack bullying which is

undertaken by a group. The 2009 Wesley Report on bullying prepared by an Australia-based group, found

that pack bullying was more prominent in high schools and characteristically lasted longer that bullying

undertaken by individuals. Pack bullying may be physical bullying or emotional bullying and be perpetrated

in person or in cyberspace. In person, it can take place in schoolyards, school hallways, sports fields and

gymnasiums, classrooms, and on the school bus. Another one is individual bullying, a one-on-one bullying

that may take place either in person or online, as well as being physical bullying or emotional bullying. The

Wesley Report found it to be more prevalent in elementary schools. It can take place everywhere that pack

bullying can, and also in smaller areas into which a pack can't fit, such as bathrooms.

There are also modes of school bullying. Physical bullying is bullying that takes the form of physical

abuse, such as pushing, shoving, hitting, fighting, spitting, and tripping. Threats of physical harm and

attempts to force people to act in ways they would prefer are also included. Emotional bullying is bullying

that involves factors other than physical interaction, such as insults, derogatory remarks, name calling, and

teasing. Also included are attempts to ostracize the victim, such as being left out or ignored, which is

sometimes referred to as social bullying, as distinguished from verbal bullying. Emotional bullying could
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also take the form of purposely misplacing or hiding someone's belongings. Emotional bullying can be done

in person or through cyber bullying.

School bullying has also its medium. Face-to-face bullying is bullying in which students confront

each other in person. Cyber bullying is bullying that takes place online, through either email, chat rooms,

social networking services, text messages, instant messages, website postings, blogs, or a combination of

means. Cyber bullies may conceal their identity so that their victim experiences an anonymous attack. The

content of cyber bullying can consist of all of the types of content mentioned in emotional bullying above,

including posting insulting and derogatory comments about someone or sending such comments to

someone; sending mean or threatening messages; gossiping about someone online including posting

sensitive or private information; impersonating someone in order to cast that person in a bad light; and

excluding someone from an online page or group. Unwanted contact, also known as harassment, is

another form of cyber bullying.

School bullying has specific targets. Homophobic bullying is sometimes distinguished because it

has a particular target population. Bullying of students with disabilities is another type of bullying with a

focused target population. Racist bullying is a third type of focused bullying that targets people of a specific

race or cultural and religious bullying targets people who have specific religious beliefs

.(http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/school-bullying.html)

On the other hand, The National Center of Education Statistics (nces.ed.gov.) report reveals that

there is noticeably more bullying in middle school (grades 6, 7, and 8) than in senior high school; emotional

bullying is the most prevalent type of bullying, with pushing/shoving/tripping/spitting on someone being

second; cyber bullying is - for the middle grade levels - the least prominent type of bullying, but it is greater

in the last three years of high school than in grades 6 – 9; most school bullying occurs inside the school, a
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lesser amount on school property, and even less on the school bus and the least occurs in other areas;

middle school students, and particularly 6th graders, were most likely to be bullied on the bus; sixth graders

were the most likely students to sustain an injury from bullying, with middle schoolers more likely to be

injured than high school students and the percentage going down every grade from 6 to 12; victims of

bullying display a range of responses, even many years later, such as low self-esteem, difficulty in trusting

others, lack of assertiveness, aggression, difficulty controlling anger and isolation.

Four main types of bullies are also cited by (http://bullybeware.com/faq/bullying/59-what-are-the-

different-kinds-of-bullies.html). Physical bullies are action-oriented. This type of bullying includes hitting or

kicking the victim, or, taking or damaging the victim's property. This is the least sophisticated type of

bullying because it is so easy to identify. Physical bullies are soon known to the entire population in the

school. As they get older, their attacks usually become more aggressive. These aggressive characteristics

manifest themselves as bullies become adults. Verbal bullies use words to hurt or humiliate another

person. Verbal bullying includes name-calling, insulting, making racist comments and constant teasing.

This type of bullying is the easiest to inflict on other children. It is quick and to the point. It can occur in the

least amount of time available, and its effects can be more devastating in some ways than physical bullying

because there are no visible scars.

Relational or relationship bullies try to convince their peers to exclude or reject a certain person or

people and cut the victims off from their social connections. This type of bullying is linked to verbal bullying

and usually occurs when children (most often girls) spread nasty rumors about others or exclude an ex-

friend from the peer group. The most devastating effect with this type of bullying is the rejection by the peer

group at a time when children most need their social connections.

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Reactive victims straddle a fence of being a bully and or victim. They are often the most difficult to

identify because at first glance they seem to be targets for other bullies. However, reactive victims often

taunt bullies, and bully other people themselves. Most of the incidents are physical in nature. These victims

are impulsive and react quickly to intentional and unintentional physical encounters. In some cases,

reactive victims begin as victims and become bullies as they try to retaliate. A reactive victim will approach

a person who has been bullying him/her and say something like, "You better not bug me today, otherwise

I'll tell the teacher and boy, will you be in trouble, so you just better watch out." Statements such as this are

akin to waving a red flag in front of a raging bull, and may provoke a bully into action. Reactive victims then

fight back and claim self-defense. Reactive victims need to learn how to avoid bullies.

Likewise, (http://bullying.about.com/od/Basics/a/6-Types-Of-Bullying.htm) gave an overview of the

six most common types of bullying found in schools. Physical bullying is the most obvious form of bullying.

It occurs when kids use physical actions to gain power and control over their targets. Physical bullies tend

to be bigger, stronger and more aggressive than their peers. Examples of physical bullying include kicking,

hitting, punching, slapping, shoving and other physical attacks. Unlike the other forms of bullying, physical

bullying is the easiest to identify. As a result, it is most likely what people think of when they think of

bullying. Additionally, it has historically received more attention from schools than other more subtle forms

of bullying.

Perpetrators of verbal bullying use words, statements and name-calling to gain power and control

over a target. Typically, verbal bullies will use relentless insults to belittle, demean and hurt another person.

They choose their targets based on the way they look, act or behave. It’s also not uncommon for verbal

bullies to target kids with special needs. Verbal bullying is often very difficult to identify because attacks

almost always occur when adults aren’t around. As a result, it is often one person’s word against another

person’s word. Additionally, many adults feel that things kids say don’t have a significant impact. As a
 19

result, they usually tell the victim of bullying to “ignore it.” But research has shown that verbal bullying and

name-calling has serious consequences. In fact, it can leave deep emotional scars.

Relational aggression is a sneaky and insidious type of bullying that often goes unnoticed by

parents and teachers. Sometimes referred to as emotional bullying, relational aggression is a type of social

manipulation where tweens and teens try to hurt their peers or sabotage their social standing. Relational

bullies often ostracize others from a group, spread rumors, manipulate situations and break confidences.

The goal behind a relationally aggressive bully is to increase their own social standing by controlling or

bullying another person. In general, girls tend to use relational aggression more than boys, especially

between fifth and eighth grade. As a result, girls who engage in relational aggression are often called mean

girls or frenemies. A teen or tween on the receiving end of relational aggression is likely to be teased,

insulted, ignored, excluded and intimidated. Although relational aggression is common in middle school, it

is not limited to tweens. In fact, some bullying bosses and other workplace bullies also engage in relational

aggression.

When a tween or a teen uses the Internet, a cell phone or other technology to harass, threaten,

embarrass or target another person, this is called cyber bullying. If an adult is involved in the harassment

this is called cyber-harassment or cyber stalking. Examples of cyberbullying include posting hurtful images,

making online threats, and sending hurtful emails or texts. Because teens and tweens are always "plugged

in," cyberbullying is a growing issue among young people. It’s also becoming more widespread because

bullies can harass their targets with much less risk of being caught. Cyber bullies often say things that they

do not have the courage to say face-to-face because technology makes them feel anonymous, insulated

and detached from the situation. As a result, online bullying is often mean and cruel. To the targets of

cyberbullying, it feels invasive and never ending. Bullies can get to them anytime and anywhere, often in

the safety of their own home. Consequently, the consequences of cyberbullying are significant.
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Sexual bullying consists of repeated, harmful and humiliating actions that target a person sexually.

Examples include sexual name-calling, crude comments, vulgar gestures, uninvited touching, sexual

propositioning and pornographic materials. For instance, a bully might make a crude comment about a girl’s

appearance, attractiveness, sexual development or sexual activity. In extreme cases, sexual bullying opens

the door to sexual assault. Girls are often the targets of sexual bullying both by boys and by other girls.

Boys might touch them inappropriately, make crude comments about their bodies or proposition them. Girls

on the other hand might call other girls names like “slut” or “tramp," make insulting comments about their

appearance or body and engage in slut-shaming.

Sexting also can lead to sexual bullying. For instance, a girl may send a photo of herself to a

boyfriend. When they break up, he shares that photo with the entire school. As a result, she then becomes

the target of sexual bullying because people make fun of her body, call her crude names and make vulgar

comments about her. Some boys may even see this as an open invitation to proposition her or assault her.

Prejudicial bullying is based on prejudices tweens and teens have toward people of different races,

religions or sexual orientation. This type of bullying can encompass all the other types of bullying as well

including cyberbullying, verbal bullying, relational bullying, physical bullying and sometimes even sexual

bullying. When prejudicial bullying occurs, kids are targeting others who are different from them and

singling them out. Often times, this type of bullying is severe and can open the door to hate crimes. Any

time a child is bullied for his race,

Bullying can affect everyone, those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness

bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance use,

and suicide. It is important to talk to kids to determine whether bullying or something else is a concern. Kids

who are bullied can experience negative physical, school, and mental health issues. Kids who are bullied
 21

are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness,

changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may

persist into adulthood; decreased academic achievement, GPA and standardized test scores and school

participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school. A very small number of bullied

children might retaliate through extremely violent measures. In 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the

1990s, the shooters had a history of being bullied.

Furthermore, kids who bully others can also engage in violent and other risky behaviors into

adulthood. Kids who bully are more likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults;

get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school; engage in early sexual activity; have criminal

convictions and traffic citations as adults; be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses, or children

as adults.

Similarly, kids who witness bullying are more likely to have increased use of tobacco, alcohol, or

other drugs; have increased mental health problems, including depression and anxiety; miss or skip school.

Media reports often link bullying with suicide. However, most youth who are bullied do not have

thoughts of suicide or engage in suicidal behaviors. http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/effects/index.html

The online news portal of TV5 reported the Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Bro. Armin

Luistro stressed, “Every Filipino child must be protected,” following the signing of the Implementing Rules

and Regulation of Republic Act No. 10627, otherwise known as the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013.

“The Anti-Bullying Act is part of our child protection policy,” Luistro said in his address during the

signing ceremony on Dec. 13 at Bulwagan ng Katarungan DepEd Complex on Meralco Ave., Pasig City.

Secretary Luistro said anti-bullying acts include cyber-bullying aside from inflicting physical harm to the

child and utterance of slanderous statements or accusations which causes the victim undue emotional
 22

distress such as the use of profanities, name-calling and commenting negatively on the victims’ looks,

clothes and body. Bullying would also include social bullying which refers to any deliberate, repetitive and

aggressive social behavior intended to hurt others or belittle any individual or group and gender-based

bullying that humiliates a person on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity. The education

bullying act in the world. All public and private kindergarten, primary and secondary schools as well as

alternative learning centers are mandated to adopt anti-bullying policies and establish intervention

programs which include counseling, life skills training and other activities that will enhance the

psychological, emotional and the psycho-social well-being of both the victim and the bully with the inclusion

of all concerned parties such as bullies, victims, witnesses, parents, school officials as well as other

persons that may be affected by the bullying incident, he said. Schools must also impose disciplinary

measures as part of their child protection policy against the perpetrators depending on the gravity and

nature of the cases. They may also refer the victims and bully to trained professionals outside the school

such as social workers, guidance counselors, psychologists or child protection specialists for further

assessment and appropriate intervention measures if necessary.

The law also states that the provisions of Republic Act 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare

Act, will apply in case bullying incidents result in serious physical injuries or death. Private schools shall be

given 30 days to comply with the policy and the DepEd may suspend or revoke the permit of a school in

cases of noncompliance.

On the other hand, school personnel of public kindergarten, elementary or secondary schools who

fail to conform to the act will be imposed sanctions in accordance with the Civil Service Rules and relevant

issuances of the department.http://www.interaksyon.com/article/76818/deped-issues-implementing-rules-

on-anti-bullying-act
 23

Malipot (2014), also reported that by the end of July, consolidated reports on Anti-Bullying Policies

as well as statistics on bullying and retaliation from both public and private schools are expected to be

submitted to the Department of Education (DepEd). Education Secretary Armin Luistro, in DepEd

Memorandum No. 68 series of 2014 has directed officials of all elementary and secondary schools

regarding submission of school-based child protection policy and anti-bullying policies and reports on

compliance. Reports on anti-bullying policies being implemented by schools as well as initial data on

bullying are expected six months after the DepEd Order No. 55 s. of 2013 entitled “Implementing Rules and

Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No 10627 or otherwise known as the “Anti-Bullying Act of 2013” took

effect on January 3, 2014. In public schools, Luistro said that school personnel of kindergarten, elementary,

or secondary schools who fail to comply with the provisions of the Act or the IRR shall be subject to

administrative disciplinary proceedings in accordance with the Civil Service Rules and the relevant

issuance of DepEd. The Anti-Bullying Law was formally signed by President Benigno Aquino III on

September 12, 2013. As an educator, Luistro considered the signing of the IRR of the Anti-Bullying Law as

one DepEd’s biggest achievement last year. He added that the Philippines is one of the first nations in the

world to even come up with a law on bullying including features of cyber-bullying. It is an imperfect law and

the IRR will not be able to anticipate all the problems and challenges but, he thinks it is a milestone. Based

on the summary of child abuse, bullying and sexual abuse cases released by DepEd dated September 19

last year, 80 percent or 1,165 out of 1,456 cases of child abuse that have been reported for the school year

2012-2013 are acts of bullying. The remaining 20 percent or 291 cases include other child abuse incidents

including sexual abuse. DepEd said that schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) have the highest

number of reported cases of abuse with 489 where 443 are cases of bullying and 46 other child abuse

cases; followed by Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with 228 where 216 are bullying cases and 12

are other child abuse cases and Region VI with 134 where 114 are cases of bullying and 20 other child

abuse related cases. Meanwhile, Region X has the least number of reported child abuse cases with only
 24

one case of bullying and four other child abuse related incidents.http://www.mb.com.ph/schools-to-submit-

anti-bullying-policies-statistics-to-deped/

Sy (2013), also reported the Department of Education (DepEd) welcomed the signing of the Anti-

Bullying Law which seeks to curb incidents of bullying in basic educational institutions throughout the

country. In a statement, DepEd said the new law complements the agency’s existing “Child Protection

Policy.” “This is a landmark piece of legislation that enhances the DepEd’s existing Child Protection Policy

and allows us to further develop our schools into learner-centered institutions,” the agency said.

President Aquino signed Republic Act 10627 or the “Anti-Bullying Act of 2013” last Sept. 6, requiring all

elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies to prevent and address bullying in their institutions.

The law defines 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 students. The act of

bullying also involves infringing on the rights of other students at school or materially and substantially

disrupting the education process or the orderly preparation of a school. A 2008 study of Britain-based Plan

International showed that one in two school children in the Philippines are bullied or suffer from other forms

of abuse inflicted by peers or teachers. Most incidents go unreported due to fear of retribution, it added.

Plan International said school-related violence against children and the youth has always been detrimental

to the realization of the children’s full potential.

Senator Juan Edgardo Angara welcomed the enactment of the Anti-Bullying Act as a major step in

protecting children from one of the earliest forms of violence. Angara, who was one of the principal authors

of the law when he was still in the House of Representatives, said that the youth must be provided with the
 25

opportunity for maximum learning “in a peaceful and violence-free setting.” The issue of bullying in schools

is very personal to him because his son was also a victim of bullying. Under the Anti-Bullying Act or

Republic Act 10627, all elementary and secondary schools are required to adopt policies to prevent and

address bullying in their institutions within six months after the law becomes effective. “The school is our

children’s second home. I call on school authorities to be proactive and responsive to the law in order to

ensure the safety of the students. That is their primary responsibility and promise to parents,” said Angara.

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, the principal author of the law in the Senate, said that bullying

causes physical, psychological and emotional harm to students and interferes with students’ ability to learn

and participate in school activities. Santiago noted that a student’s development is hampered when there

are incidents of violence, harassment and fear among students, most exemplified in cases

of bullying.http://www.philstar.com/education-and-home/2013/09/19/1226601/anti-bullying-law-enacted

Republic Act No. 10627 (Anti-Bullying Act of 2013) IRR - Includes Sexual Orientation and Gender

Identity. The Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Republic Act No. 10627 includes “gender-based

bullying”, which is any act that humiliates or excludes a person on the basis of perceived or actual sexual

orientation and gender identity. Sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) was included in the

Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Republic Act No. 10627, otherwise known, as the “Anti-

Bullying Act of 2013″. The IRR was signed on December 13 by Bro. Armin A. Luistro, FSC, Secretary of

the Department of Education (DepEd).

Under Rule II: Definition of Terms of the IRR, “bullying” is defined 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
 26

at school for the other student; infringing on the rights of another student at school; or materially and

substantially disrupting the education process or the orderly operation of a school. These acts include:

unwanted physical contact between the bully and the victim like punching, pushing, shoving, kicking,

slapping, tickling, headlocks, inflicting school pranks, teasing, fighting and the use of available objects as

weapons; any act that causes damage to a victim’s psyche and/or emotional well-being; any slanderous

statement or accusation that causes the victim undue emotional distress; and “cyber-bullying”. These acts

also include “gender-based bullying”, which is any act that humiliates or excludes a person on the basis of

perceived or actual SOGI.

According to Michael David C. Tan, publishing editor of Outrage Magazine, the only lesbian, gay,

bisexual and transgender (LGBT) publication in the Philippines, this is a development worth highlighting

“particularly because of the higher risk for gender non-conforming people including members of the LGBT

community- to be bullied because of their being different. It is sad that for many LGBT people, getting

bullied is somewhat accepted as a ‘norm’, with many bullies actually getting a free pass because they

conform to social constructs. It is high time we acknowledge that there are those who suffer solely because

of their being different, and this is something that should not be tolerated.” Tan notes, however, a seeming

lack of emphasis on the bullying done by schools against members of the LGBT community. In truth, some

of the biggest bullies are the educational institutions themselves, with many putting in place anti-LGBT

policies that limit the very access to education of many LGBT Filipinos. This is something that similarly

merits attention.

Under the IRR, all public and private kindergarten, elementary and secondary schools are

mandated to adopt policies to address the existence of bullying in their respective institutions. School

personnel of public kindergarten, elementary or secondary schools who fail to comply with the provisions of

the Act or this IRR shall be subject to administrative disciplinary proceedings in accordance with the Civil
 27

Service Rules and the relevant issuances of the Department of Education. Meanwhile, school personnel of

private kindergarten, elementary or secondary schools who fail to comply with the requirements of the Act

or this IRR shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary sanctions as may be imposed by the private school;

additionally, the DepEd Secretary may suspend or revoke, as appropriate, the permit or recognition of a

private school that fails to comply with the requirements under the Act or this IRR. Even as he tries to be

optimistic, Tan said that LGBT Filipinos continue to have a wait-and-see attitude on developments like this.

Having a law (and the accompanying IRR) does not necessarily mean that we’ll see the good intentions

come to fruition. As such, he urges LGBT Filipinos to – upon learning of the law and the accompanying

IRR – make use of it. Laws that are supposed to protect us are truly only useful if they are actually applied,

so make use of them. http://www.gov.ph/2013/12/13/implementing-rules-and-regulations-of-republic-act-

no-10627/

Lyness (2013) also said the everyday thousands of teens wake up afraid to go to school. Bullying

is a problem that affects millions of students, and it has everyone worried, not just the kids on its receiving

end. Yet because parents, teachers, and other adults don't always see it, they may not understand how

extreme bullying can get. Bullying is when a person is picked on over and over again by an individual or

group with more power, either in terms of physical strength or social standing. Two of the main reasons

people are bullied are because of appearance and social status. Bullies pick on the people they think don't

fit in, maybe because of how they look, how they act, for example, kids who are shy and withdrawn, their

race or religion, or because the bullies think their target may be gay or lesbian. Some bullies attack their

targets physically, which can mean anything from shoving or tripping to punching or hitting, or even sexual

assault. Others use psychological control or verbal insults to put themselves in charge. For example,

people in popular groups or cliques often bully people they categorize as different by excluding them or

gossiping about them (psychological bullying). They may also taunt or tease their targets (verbal bullying).
 28

Verbal bullying can also involve cyberbullying, sending cruel texts, messages, or posting insults about a

person on Facebook or other social sites.

One of the most painful aspects of bullying is that it is relentless. Most people can take one

episode of teasing or name calling or being shunned at the mall. However, when it goes on and on, bullying

can put a person in a state of constant fear. Guys and girls who are bullied may find their schoolwork and

health suffering. Amber began having stomach pains and diarrhea and was diagnosed with a digestive

condition called irritable bowel syndrome as a result of the stress that came from being bullied throughout

ninth grade. Mahfooz spent his afternoons hungry and unable to concentrate in class because he was too

afraid to go to the school cafeteria at lunchtime. Studies show that people who are abused by their peers

are at risk for mental health problems, such as low self-esteem, stress, depression, or anxiety. They may

also think about suicide more. Bullies are at risk for problems, too. Bullying is violence, and it often leads to

more violent behavior as the bully grows up. It is estimated that 1 out of 4 elementary-school bullies will

have a criminal record by the time they are 30. Some teen bullies end up being rejected by their peers and

lose friendships as they grow older. Bullies may also fail in school and not have the career or relationship

success that other people enjoy.

Both guys and girls can be bullies. Bullies may be outgoing and aggressive. Or a bully can appear

reserved on the surface, but may try to manipulate people in subtle, deceptive ways, like anonymously

starting a damaging rumor just to see what happens. Many bullies share some common characteristics.

They like to dominate others and are generally focused on themselves. They often have poor social skills

and poor social judgment. Sometimes they have no feelings of empathy or caring toward other people.

Although most bullies think they're hot stuff and have the right to push people around, others are actually

insecure. They put other people down to make themselves feel more interesting or powerful. And some

bullies act the way they do because they've been hurt by bullies in the past, maybe even a bullying figure in
 29

their own family, like a parent or other adult. Some bullies actually have personality disorders that don't

allow them to understand normal social emotions like guilt, empathy, compassion, or remorse. These

people need help from a mental health professional like a counselor, social worker, psychiatrist, or

psychologist.

Lyness (2013) also suggested that, for younger kids, the best way to solve a bullying problem is to

tell a trusted adult. For teens, though, the tell-an-adult approach depends on the bullying situation. One

situation in which it is vital to report bullying is if it threatens to lead to physical danger and harm. Numerous

high school students have died when stalking, threats, and attacks went unreported and the silence gave

the bully license to become more and more violent. Sometimes the victim of repeated bullying cannot

control the need for revenge and the situation becomes dangerous for everyone. Adults in positions of

authority, parents, teachers, or coaches often can find ways to resolve dangerous bullying problems without

the bully ever learning how they found out about it. If students are in a bullying situation that may escalate

into physical violence, try to avoid being alone and if they have a friend in this situation, spend as much

time together as they can. They should try to remain part of a group by walking home at the same time as

other people or by sticking close to friends or classmates during the times that the bullying takes place. He

also cited some bullying survival tips to combat psychological and verbal bullying. They are also good tips

to share with a friend as a way to show your support: ignore the bully and walk away. It's definitely not a

coward's response, sometimes it can be harder than losing once temper. Bullies thrive on the reaction they

get, and if the person walk away or ignore hurtful emails or instant messages, he is telling the bully that he

just does not care. Sooner or later the bully will probably get bored with trying to bother him. Walk tall and

hold his head high. Using this type of body language sends a message that he is not vulnerable; hold the

anger. Everyone doesn't want to get really upset with a bully. But that's exactly the response he or she is

trying to get. Bullies want to know they have control over others’ emotions. If a person is in a situation
 30

where he has to deal with a bully and he can't walk away with poise use humor, it can throw the bully off

guard. Work out ones anger in another way, such as through exercise or writing it down; one should not get

physical or use physical force like kicking, hitting, or pushing. Not only is he showing his anger, he can

never be sure what the bully will do in response. He is more likely to be hurt and get into trouble if he use

violence against a bully. A person can stand up for himself in other ways, such as gaining control of the

situation by walking away or by being assertive in his actions. Some adults believe that bullying is part of

growing up, that it builds character, and that hitting back is the only way to tackle the problem. But that's not

the case. Aggressive responses tend to lead to more violence and more bullying for the victims; a person

has to practice confidence. He needs to practice ways to respond to the bully verbally or through his

behavior. He needs to practice feeling good about himself even if he has to fake it at first; a person has to

take charge of his life. He can't control other people's actions, but he can stay true to himself and think

about ways to feel his best and his strongest. Exercise is one way to feel strong and powerful. It's a great

mood lifter, too. Learn a martial art or take a class like yoga. Another way to gain confidence is to hone

ones skills in something like chess, art, music, computers, or writing. Joining a class, club, or gym is a great

way to make new friends and feel good about oneself. The confidence one gain will help him ignore the

mean kids; a person needs to talk about it. It may help to talk to a guidance counselor, teacher, or friend,

anyone who can give you the support you need. Talking can be a good outlet for the fears and frustrations

that can build when one is being bullied; and kids or teen-agers need to find true friends. If someone has

been bullied with rumors or gossip, all of these tips especially ignoring and not reacting can apply. But he

needs to take it one step further to help ease feelings of hurt and isolation. Find one or two true friends and

confide how the gossip has hurt ones feelings. Set the record straight by telling ones friends quietly and

confidently what's true and not true about him. Hearing a friend say, "I know the rumor's not true. I didn't

pay attention to it," can help him realize that most of the time people see gossip for what it is - petty, rude,

and immature. All kids or teen-agers have to deal with a lot of difficult situations and emotions. When some
 31

people feel stressed, angry, or frustrated, picking on someone else can be a quick escape, it takes the

attention away from them and their problems. Some bullies learn from firsthand experience. Perhaps name-

calling, putdowns, or physical force are the norms in their families. Whatever the reason, though, it's no

excuse for being the bully. If someone finds it hard to resist the temptation to bully, he might want to talk

with someone he looks up to and try to think about how others feel when he teases or hurt them. If he has

trouble figuring this out many people who bully do, he might ask someone else to help him think of the

other person's side. Bullying behavior backfires and makes everyone feel miserable even the bullies.

People might feel intimidated by bullies, but they don't respect them

Moreover, Lynes (2013) presented steps to stop bullying in schools. He said that if the

environment at school supports bullying, working to change it can help. For example, there might be areas

where bullies harass people, such as in stairwells or courtyards that are unobserved by staff. Because a lot

of bullying takes part in the presence of peers (the bully wants to be recognized and feel powerful, after all),

enlisting the help of friends or a group is a good way to change the culture and stand up to bullies. It can be

tried to talk to the bully. If the bullied does not feel comfortable in a face-to-face discussion, he can leave a

note in the bully's locker and point out that his or her behavior is serious and harmful. This can work well in

group situations, such as if he notices that a member of his group has started to pick on or shun another

member.

Most people hesitate to speak out because it can be hard. It takes confidence to stand up to a bully

especially if he or she is one of the established group leaders. But chances are that other students

witnessing the bullying behavior feel as uncomfortable as he does, they just don't speak up. Perhaps they

feel that they're not popular enough to take a stand or worry that they are vulnerable and the bully will turn

on them. Staying quiet (even though they don't like the bully's behavior) is a way to distance themselves

from the person who is the target. When a group of people keeps quiet like this, the bully's reach is
 32

extending beyond just one person. He or she is managing to intimidate lots of people. But when one person

speaks out against a bully, the reverse happens. It gives others license to add their support and take a

stand, too.

Another way to combat bullying is to join school's anti-violence program or, if the school doesn't

have one, it start one of its own.

This is supported by Tamanini (2012) when she said that the best and most obvious way to stop

bullying in schools is for parents to change the way they parent their children at home. This is much easier

said than done and everyone parents their children differently. Bullies, however, come from homes where

physical punishment is used and children have been taught that physical violence is the way to handle

problems and “get their way.”

Bullies usually also come from homes where the parents fight a lot, so violence has been modeled

for them. Parental involvement often is lacking in bullies’ lives and there seems to be little warmth. Early

intervention and effective discipline and boundaries truly is the best way to stop bullying, but parents of the

victims or therapists cannot change the bully’s home environment. Some things can be done at the school

level: most school programs that address bullying use a multi-faceted approach to the problem. This

usually involves counseling of some sort, either by peers, a school counselor, teachers, or the principal;

hand out questionnaires to all students and teachers and discuss if bullying is occurring. Define exactly

what constitutes bullying at school. The questionnaire is a wonderful tool that allows the school to see how

widespread bullying is and what forms it is taking. It is a good way to start to address the problem; get the

children’s parents involved in a bullying program. If parents of the bullies and the victims are not aware of

what is going on at school, then the whole bullying program will not be effective. Stopping bullying in school

takes teamwork and concentrated effort on everyone’s part. Bullying also should be discussed during
 33

parent-teacher conferences and PTA meetings. Parental awareness is key; in the classroom setting, all

teachers should work with the students on bullying. Oftentimes even the teacher is being bullied in the

classroom and a program should be set up that implements teaching about bullying. Children understand

modeling behaviors and role-play and acting out bullying situations is a very effective tool. Have students

role-play a bullying situation. Rules that involve bullying behaviors should be clearly posted. Schools also

could ask local mental health professionals to speak to students about bullying behaviors and how it

directly affects the victims; and schools need to make sure there is enough adult supervision at school to

lessen and prevent bullying.

A child who has to endure bullying usually suffers from low self-esteem and their ability to learn

and be successful at school is dramatically lessened. Schools and parents must educate children about

bullying behaviors; it will help all children feel safe and secure at school. Children who bully need to be

taught empathy for others’ feelings in order to change their behaviors and the school must adopt a zero-

tolerance policy regarding bullying.http://psychcentral.com/lib/how-do-we-stop-bullying-in-schools/0002371

This is further supported by Hellwig (2012) by suggesting 10 ways to help reduce bullying in

schools. “Kids will be kids” is a famous saying suggesting that bullying is a normal part of growing up. Yet

with beatings, death threats, and 24-hour harassment via technology, bullying has become a dangerous,

life-threatening epidemic. Children cannot get away from it, which has led to many suicides. Schools are

struggling to take a stand against bullying, and with parents, politics, and the media involved, educators

have a difficult time pleasing everyone. Bullying can occur randomly or regularly. It can happen daily,

weekly, or monthly. In fact, one in 10 bullying victims are bullied daily, while one in five victims are bullied

once or twice a month (Mahoney, 2012). The bullied student can rarely predict when the bullying will occur,

and if the student can predict the bullying, often teachers and staff may not address the incident. In fact,

staff may not even catch the first few acts of bulling.
 34

Schools need to find ways to reduce this problem. This includes having all teachers, staff, and

administrators on board to prevent bullying from occurring. Here are some tips to help reduce bullying in

your school: have a clear definition of bullying. Bullying occurs at all grade levels. An entire school district

needs to have the same language within all its schools in order to reduce bullying. To start, the schools

need to have a common definition of bullying. Crisis Prevention Institute defines bullying (2011) as being

characterized by intentionally aggressive behavior that involves an imbalance of power and strength. It can

be exemplified through physical, verbal/nonverbal, and/or relational means. It is a repeated offense, even

when teachers observe it for the first time. Talking to the victim about what happened and whether there

have been past occurrences is very important.

Staff should be able to distinguish between teasing and bullying. According to Sweeting and West

(2001), teasing is reported more frequently than bullying because teasing is done to irritate or provoke

another with persistent distractions or other annoyances. Bullying, on the other hand, is an imbalance of

power. This is key. Bullied students are unable to defend themselves, which is what causes the imbalance

of power. Bullying occurs in different forms such as threats, teasing, name calling, excluding, preventing

others from going where they want or doing what they want, pushing, hitting, and all forms of physical

violence (Mahoney, 2012). The severity of bullying varies from case to case.

With the growth of the use of social media among students, staff should be aware that

cyberbullying is becoming more of a problem. Cyberbullying is the “use of any electronic device to harass,

intimidate, or bully another” (Mahoney, 2012). This includes texts, emails, videos, and posts and messages

on social media websites. Schools need to ensure that bullying prevention efforts are stressed when it

comes to cyberbullying. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, “All school staff

needs to be trained on what bullying is, what the school’s policies and rules are, and how to enforce the

rules.”; remove labels: address behaviors. When teachers and staff call a child a bully or a victim, they
 35

place a judgment on that child, which can then cause problems in the future for that student. When

addressing students’ behavior, be nonjudgmental. First, find out what happened before deciding whether or

not the incident qualifies as bullying (US Department of Health and Human Services). Looking at the

specific behaviors that occurred is important so that they can be addressed at a later time. Keep in mind

that each student involved in a situation comes from different circumstances. Everyone has baggage.

There may be a reason that the child who engages in bullying behavior is acting this way. To fix the

problem, involve the student who is doing the bullying (US Department of Health and Human Services).

She needs to know what her actions are doing to the student she’s bullying. Ensure that the person who is

doing the bulling knows what behavior is wrong, why it’s wrong, and what the consequences are for

engaging in the behavior. If the behavior keeps occurring, the parents will need to be involved. Multiple staff

members from various schools have reported that parents of kids who engage in bullying behavior come in

saying that their children are victims because they’ve been accused of being bullies. But when teachers

address specific behaviors such as disrupting the classroom or harassing other students, parents recognize

that the behavior needs to stop; set clear and enforceable rules and expectations. Age-appropriate rules

allow a student to know what behavior is expected. When kids are younger, keep rules simple. When kids

are older, shape the rules to help them meet their maturity level.

Scheuermann and Hall (2008) have a list of suggestions for writing rules within a Positive

Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) framework. The authors suggest that staff should: state rules

in positive terms, keep the number of rules to a minimum (3–5 depending upon age), set rules that cover

multiple situations, make sure rules are age appropriate, teach students the rules, set an example for rule-

following behavior, and be consistent in enforcing the rules. These guidelines for rules set a tone for the

classroom. They can help the teacher have a well-managed classroom that is less prone to bullying

behaviors (US Department of Health and Human Services). The rules and the consequences for breaking
 36

the rules should be clearly stated. Students need to know what will happen if they engage in a certain

behavior. This provides clear expectations. Rules need to enforce respect, responsibility, and safety

(Scheuermann and Hall, 2008). Rules should incorporate these vital components and apply to every

situation every day to everyone. Remember, rules are there to keep students and staff safe; reward positive

behavior. When a student does something bad, it’s easy to point it out, especially if the student always

seems to be in trouble.

Wright (2012) came up with the “Good Behavior Game” in which good classroom behaviors are

rewarded during the instructional time of day. Not many people choose to reinforce good behavior because

good behavior is expected. This is a problem. When a child is always getting into trouble, then “catching

them being good” is positive and reinforcing (Mahoney, 2012). Pointing out the good behavior

acknowledges and reinforces that behavior. This way the student will be more likely to engage in the

positive behavior again. Just like setting clear rules and enforcing those rules, reinforcing good behavior will

give students clear expectations about what you want in a positive way.

The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that schools “Try to affirm good

behavior four to five times for every one criticism of bad behavior. Use one-on-one feedback, and do not

publically reprimand. Help students correct their behaviors. Help them understand violating the rules results

in consequences.” Following these suggestions can help reduce bullying behaviors by helping students

become more accepting of the positive and less likely to engage in negative behaviors; have open

communication; communication is key to building rapport. When teachers have open communication with

their students, their students will feel more open to talking to them about their problems including bullying.

Having classroom meetings is one way to build that communication. Classroom meetings provide a way for

students to talk about school-related issues beyond academics (US Department of Health and Human

Services). These meetings can help teachers and parents stay informed about what’s going on at the
 37

school and in the child’s life. Be sure to listen during these meetings. Empathic Listening is key. Students

want to know that they’re truly being listened to. They need to feel welcome to talk to their teachers one-on-

one, especially if they feel they’ve been bullied. Keep in mind that as a target, a student might not want to

say something in front of the whole class or if the bully is in the classroom meeting.

Schools need to have adequate reporting systems as well. They need to encourage teachers and

staff to report the incidents that occur. This way the school can provide a way to protect students and

prevent these circumstances from occurring again. Reporting also helps track the individual incidents and

responses so you can see if there’s a trend (US Department of Health and Human Services). By using this

system, possible future incidents can be prevented. Make the reporting system easy to use and

confidential, and encourage staff to use it. Communication is not just verbal. A school can also provide

nonverbal cues. These can include interior decorations like signs, it can include teachers and staff, and it

can include the exterior of the school. The look of the school sends a strong message to students and

parents about whether the school fosters a positive environment. If it does not send a good message,

bullying is more likely to occur; engage parents. Many people are involved in children’s lives. They all have

an impact. When these people work together, the biggest difference can be made in a child’s life.

Communication with parents about their child’s behavior whether their child is a perpetrator of or on the

receiving end of bullying behavior can be tricky. Thus teachers and staff need to build rapport with the

parents of their students.

Keeping parents informed about their child’s grades, friends, behavior, and even attitudes in school

is an important tool when addressing behaviors. Working together, parents and teachers can provide a

consistent approach to introduce more productive and appropriate replacement behaviors. This makes the

message more likely to sink in and stick with the child. It can even help the child recognize when another

child is being bullied or is a bully (US Department of Health and Human Services).
 38

In urban areas, some parents may have had a difficult time with schools in the past and may sense

a lack of connection and trust in school staff. Staff should show parents how their school has changed or is

changing, and that every student is given an opportunity to succeed; look for warning signs; when bullying

is occurring, there may be warning signs. When a child is being bullied, he can show many different signs

that indicate that bullying is occurring. Teachers may not witness every incident, but that’s why it’s

necessary to involve other students, as well as parents. Does the child have unexplainable injuries,

frequent headaches or stomachaches, changes in eating habits, difficulty sleeping, declining grades, loss of

interest in school, loss of friends, lost or destroyed personal items, decreased self-esteem? Does the child

avoid social situations or talk of harming herself (US Department of Health and Human Services)? These

are only a few of the warning signs that indicate that a child is being bullied. No child shows the same

signs.

There are also signs that a child is bullying another: if the child gets into a lot of fights or has

friends that bully others, if the child is increasingly aggressive or sent to the principal’s office frequently, if

the child has new belongings, blame others for his problems, refuse to accept responsibility for his actions,

or worry about his popularity and reputation (US Department of Health and Human Services). These are

only a few signs that indicate that a child is engaging in bullying behavior. In order to fully understand

what’s going on, teachers must communicate and work with the child’s parents; when bullying occurs, clear

the scene. Most of the time, teachers and staff break up incidents as they occur. It’s important to separate

the students involved to gather the facts. This allows the school to fix the situation while preventing it from

occurring again. There are often bystanders, and bystanders frequently encourage and reinforce bullies

(Mahoney, 2012). It’s often easier to first remove the bystanders and then to deal with the bully and the

target. Once the crowd is split up, get the facts. Interview Bullying is not going to end right away. Be

persistent and consistent about stopping it, follow through with consequences, and follow up with the
 39

students after incidents (US Department of Health and Human Services). Teachers should show the kids

that they really care, and they could become their trusted adult; monitor hot spots. There are certain places

where bullying occurs the most, and these are often areas where adults are not present, areas like

hallways, bathrooms, playgrounds, and busses. When an adult is present, children feel safer, and bullying

behaviors are less likely to occur. It’s important for adults to be alert and to give their full attention when

multiple children are present.

Statistics show that 47.2% of bullying occurs in a hallway or stairwell and 33.6% of bullying

happens in the classroom. 20% of bullying situations occur on school grounds, on playgrounds, on school

busses, when kids are walking to and from school, and in lunchrooms, gyms, and cyberspace (Mahoney,

2012). All of these places cannot be covered, so one way to stop behaviors is to have open

communication. All staff must work together to keep these spots monitored; know your state law and district

policies. The US government also aims to ensure that students have the safest environments possible.

That’s why 49 out of 50 states currently have bullying laws in place (Bully Police USA, 2012). All staff

should be familiar with their state laws and regulations regarding bullying. They should also know what their

school district’s policy is and whether it follows the state law.

Bullying can be reduced. These tips will help decrease and prevent bullying in your school, and

they’ll help you ensure that your students thrive in safe and caring environment in which they’re free to

learn and grow.

http://www.crisisprevention.com/Resources/Article-Library/Nonviolent-Crisis-Intervention-Training-

Articles/10-Ways-to-Help-Reduce-Bullying-in-Schools

Similarly, http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/at-school/engage-parents/ stated that school staff

can do a great deal to prevent bullying and protect students, but they can’t do it alone. Parents and youth
 40

also have a role to play in preventing bullying at school. One mechanism for engaging parents and youth, a

school safety committee, can bring the community together to keep bullying prevention at school active and

focused. Research shows that school administrators, such as principals, can play a powerful role in bullying

prevention. They can inspire others and maintain a climate of respect and inclusion. But a principal cannot

do it alone. When parents and youth are involved in the solutions: students feel safer and can focus on

Learning, parents worry less, teachers and staff can focus on their work, schools can develop more

responsive solutions because students are more likely to see or hear about bullying than adults, school

climate improves because students are engaged in taking action to stop bullying, parents can support

schools’ messages about bullying at home. They are also more likely to recognize signs that a child has

been bullied or is bullying others. Schools can set the stage for meaningful parent and youth involvement,

but it doesn’t happen overnight. Parents and youth need to feel valued and be given opportunities to

contribute their expertise. To sustain parent and youth involvement, schools need to provide meaningful

roles for them. For example: Students can contribute their views and experiences with bullying. They can

take leadership roles in school to promote respect and inclusion, communicate about bullying prevention

with their peers, and help develop rules and policies. Parents can contribute to a positive school climate

through the parent teacher association, volunteering, and school improvement events. School staff can

keep parents informed, make them feel welcome, and treat them as partners. Schools can consider

identifying a school coordinator to support parent and youth engagement strategies. Schools can set

meeting times that are convenient for parents and youth and may consider additional incentives such as

providing dinner or child care.

A school safety committee, a small group of people focused on school safety concerns is one

strategy to engage parents and youth, as well as others, in bullying prevention. The following people can

make positive contributions to a school safety committee: Administrators can answer questions about
 41

budget, training, curriculum, and federal and state laws such as Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

(FERPA). Inventive, respected teachers with strong classroom and “people” skills can give insights. Other

school staff, such as school psychologists, counselors, school nurses, librarians, and bus drivers, bring

diverse perspectives on bullying. Parents can share the family viewpoint and keep other parents in the loop

on committee work. Students can bring fresh views and help identify real-life challenges to prevention.

Other community stakeholders, such as police officers, clergy members, elected officials, and health care

providers can provide a broader perspective.

The primary activities of the school safety committee could be to: Plan bullying prevention and

intervention programs. Set measurable and achievable goals. Implement a bullying prevention effort. Meet

often enough to keep momentum and address barriers. Develop, communicate, and enforce bullying

prevention policies and rules. Educate the school community about bullying to ensure everyone

understands the problem and their role in stopping it. Conduct school-wide bullying assessments and

review other data, such as incident reports. Evaluate bullying prevention efforts and refine the plan if

necessary. Advocate for the school’s work in bullying prevention to the entire school community. Sustain

the effort over time. This committee is not a forum for discussing individual student behaviors. Doing so is a

violation of student privacy under FERPA. There are also FERPA considerations for assessments,

particularly if personally identifiable information is collected.http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/at-

school/engage-parents/

Likewise, Wallace (2012) published in her book, 7 ways schools can prevent bullying. She said

that bullying is always in the news. Most recently there was a story about a mom who hit a child on a school

bus because he was bullying her daughter. Taking matters into her own hands was certainly the wrong

thing to do. Unfortunately, many parents feel alone with the problem when it occurs and doubtful that their

child's school will help. As a child and family therapist, she believes that schools need to take a greater role
 42

in handling bullying. The schools are in a position to provide more protection and support to children and

their parents. Bullying occurs for a large part within the school's perimeters- in the lunchroom, in the locker

room, during recess or right outside the building. Schools have professionals available, and they have a

real capacity to be the positive force to diminish these occurrences: as part of the curriculum, students

should learn to identify bullying language and actions in themselves and others. They should also be taught

positive communication skills. This knowledge will help create a more positive environment where bullying

is less likely to occur; there should be an established system for a child to report being bullied

(anonymously, if needed) and get immediate help. A counselor and other professionals should meet with

the children involved and their families to determine a solution; there should be classroom discussions

about the motivation and effects of bullying to sensitize students and promote self-awareness. Children

should understand that bullies are children who have experienced some form of bullying themselves. They

behave aggressively in an attempt to retaliate. They are children who feel powerless and suffer from low

self-esteem. They attempt to heighten their self-esteem by surrounding themselves with other children

whom they can control, who often feel insecure themselves. Bullies then find someone to diminish in an

attempt to inflate themselves. It should be emphasized that children who are bullied suffer terribly. This

education can help the children to make better, more positive choices and to become the school's partners

in eliminating bullying; professionals should teach the children skills for handling bullies through role-playing

and other techniques. For example, the students can write plays and act out different bullying scenarios in

the classroom. Each child should act out being the bully, the bully’s supporter and the victim, to gain a

more tangible understanding; counseling should be available to kids who are bullied, for the bullies and for

those who help the bullies. When needed, these children should be referred to outside therapists for on-

going help; there should be school-wide events that focus the student body on bullying, for instance,

“Bullying Awareness Tuesdays.” There could be activities in each class such as designing slogans to put

on the walls such as: “It's wrong to bully others” or “It's wrong to go along with a bully.” A child who reports
 43

bullying should be rewarded; schools should have strong repercussions for bullying. Bullying is now an

illegal offense and there should be 0 tolerance for this behavior. At the same time the official a real effort to

get to the bottom of the cause, by discussions with the child's family and the child are essential. Families

need to examine their family relationships and make sure there is no bullying going on at home; if the

child's school has no support system in place of parents' association should lobby for the school to develop

one. Bullying has been a part of society since its inception, and will not easily disappear. But with the joint

effort of the schools, the parents and the children, going to school can become a healthier, safer

experience.

Papas (2012) presented a sample policy on the prevention of bullying and on conflict resolution

that were developed by the California Department of Education as resources to help

California schools address these vital school safety concerns:

The _______________ School District believes that all students have a right to a safe and healthy school

environment. The district, schools, and community have an obligation to promote mutual respect, tolerance,

and acceptance.

The _____________ School District will not tolerate behavior that infringes on the safety of any student. A

student shall not intimidate, harass, or bully another student through words or actions. Such behavior

includes: direct physical contact, such as hitting or shoving; verbal assaults, such as teasing or name-

calling; and social isolation or manipulation.

The _____________ School District expects students and/or staff to immediately report incidents of

bullying to the principal or designee. Staff who witness such acts take immediate steps to intervene when

safe to do so. Each complaint of bullying should be promptly investigated. This policy applies to students on
 44

school grounds, while traveling to and from school or a school-sponsored activity, during the lunch period,

whether on or off campus, and during a school-sponsored activity.

To ensure bullying does not occur on school campuses, the _________________ School District will

provide staff development training in bullying prevention and cultivate acceptance and understanding in all

students and staff to build each school's capacity to maintain a safe and healthy learning environment

Teachers should discuss this policy with their students in age-appropriate ways and should assure

them that they need not endure any form of bullying. Students who bully are in violation of this policy and

are subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion. Each school will adopt a Student Code of

Conduct to be followed by every student while on school grounds, or when traveling to and from school or a

school-sponsored activity, and during lunch period, whether on or off campus.

The Student Code of Conduct includes, but is not limited to: any student who engages in bullying

may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion; students are expected to immediately

report incidents of bullying to the principal or designee; students can rely on staff to promptly investigate

each complaint of bullying in a thorough and confidential manner; if the complainant student or the parent

of the student feels that appropriate resolution of the investigation or complaint has not been reached, the

student or the parent of the student should contact the principal or the Office of Student Services. The

school system prohibits retaliatory behavior against any complainant or any participant in the complaint

process.

The procedures for intervening in bullying behavior include, but are not limited, to the following: all

staff, students and their parents will receive a summary of this policy prohibiting intimidation and bullying at

the beginning of the school year, as part of the student handbook and/or information packet, as part of new

student orientation, and as part of the school system's notification to parents; the school will make
 45

reasonable efforts to keep a report of bullying and the results of investigation confidential; staff who witness

acts of bullying shall take immediate steps to intervene when safe to do so. People witnessing or

experiencing bullying are strongly encourage to report the incident; such reporting will not reflect on the

target or witnesses in any way.

She also has a sample policy for conflict resolution:

The _________________ School District believes that all students have a right to a safe and healthy

school environment. Part of a healthy environment is the freedom to openly disagree. With this freedom

comes the responsibility to discuss and resolve disagreements with respect for the rights and opinions of

others.

To prevent conflict, each school within the _______________ School District will incorporate conflict

resolution education and problem solving techniques into the curriculum and campus programs. This is an

important step in promoting respect and acceptance, developing new ways of communicating,

understanding, and accepting differing values and cultures within the school community and helps ensure a

safe and healthy learning environment

The _______________ School District will provide training to develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills

students need to choose alternatives to self-destructive, violent behavior and dissolve interpersonal and

intergroup conflict. Each school will adopt a Student Code of Conduct to be followed by every student while

on school grounds, when traveling to and from school or a school-sponsored activity, and during lunch

period, whether on or off campus.

The Student Code of Conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following: students are to resolve

their disputes without resorting to violence; students, especially those trained in conflict resolution and peer

mediation, are encouraged to help fellow students resolve problems peaceably; students can rely on staff
 46

trained in conflict resolution and peer mediation strategies to intervene in any dispute likely to result in

violence; students needing help in resolving a disagreement, or students observing conflict may contact an

adult or peer mediators students involved in a dispute will be referred to a conflict resolution or peer

mediation session with trained adult or peer mediators. Staff and mediators will keep the discussions

confidential; conflict resolution procedures shall not supplant the authority of staff to act to prevent violence,

ensure campus safety, maintain order, and discipline students.

Related Studies

According to a study from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 out of 4 middle school students say they have been bullied,

while 15% of high schools students answer similarly. Bullying can lead to any number of problems for

victims, including a higher suicide rate, worse performance in school and more. According to the CDC:

22.5% of high school bullying victims are likely to consider suicide; 40.9% of middle school bullying victims

are likely to intentionally harm themselves; 20.4% of high school bullying victims are likely to be physically

hurt by a family member. However, many parents, teachers and school administrators are not taking the

necessary steps to prevent bullying. In fact, some adults consider bullying a part of growing up and

something that will pass over time. But in reality, bullying can cause long-lasting mental and emotional

damage, including depression and anxiety. This is not an issue that only affects the victims either.

Another study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln shows that the bullies themselves are at

greater risk of depression and anxiety, and are more likely to drop out of school or perform worse in classes

than their peers. Furthermore, schools that do not effectively prevent bullying may suffer reputational

damage and risk losing the trust of their students and parents. Fortunately, there are steps schools and
 47

parents - as well as students - can take to stop and even prevent bullying. Communication and commitment

are key. Communities must make a concerted effort to notice the signs of bullying and raise a red flag as

soon as possible. This does not always mean reporting incidents to legal authorities, but this may be

necessary in serious or pervasive situations. Educating teachers, parents and students about the issue can

also go a long to preventing and stopping bullying in schools. There are several approaches schools can

take to accomplish this, including: providing teachers with training through seminars that discuss how to

recognize and prevent bullying; holding school-wide assemblies that inform both students and teachers

about the effects of bullying and how to stop it; sending or emailing flyers that highlight the dangers of

bullying and present parents with talking points to discuss with their children; hanging up posters and flyers

that remind students and teachers about what they’ve learned in assemblies and provide information about

how to prevent and report bullyinghttp://www.bully-buster.com/how_to_prevent_stop_bullying.php

This paper, Dunne (2010) set out to investigate the consequences of bullying in terms of school

absenteeism in senior high schools in Ghana. As expected, boys and girls who experienced physical and

psychological bullying in senior high schools were more likely to report unexcused absences from school

than those who were not bullied. He did not find gender differences in the associations between school

absenteeism and the frequency or type of bullying. Boys and girls who were physically or psychologically

bullied were almost twice as likely to miss school as those who were not bullied.

Two main factors were introduced in the analysis to investigate the changes in the relationship

between being bullied and school attendance. The first factor, emotional problems, relates directly to the

experience of being bullied. Self-reported events of loneliness, sadness and anxiety, which could have

been the result of being bullied at school, were analyzed separately for boys and for girls. The main issue
 48

investigated was whether emotional problems affect school absenteeism more intensely for children who

experience bullying.

The results showed an increasing likelihood of school absenteeism for boys and girls with higher

reported emotional problems. For boys the effect of emotional problems on absenteeism was similar

whether they were bullied or not. In other words, boys who were bullied did have more school absenteeism

than boys who were not bullied, but as emotional problems increased, there was no incremental

absenteeism for boys who were bullied. For girls, those who were not bullied were much more affected in

their school attendance by their experiences of emotional problems than girls who were bullied.

Without further empirical evidence this finding is difficult to interpret but it does suggest firstly that

bullying and emotional problems are more closely interrelated for girls than for boys and secondly that

serious emotional problems could more directly affect school absenteeism in girls regardless of their

experiences of being bullied. More critically, this raises questions about the problems of self-reporting and

the potential for non-recognition of bullying This seems feasible given the research evidence from studies

referred to earlier that show the normalization of violence, against girls in particular, within the daily school

environment. For boys, there remains a distinction between being lonely, sad or anxious at school and, in

addition, being bullied when looking at school absenteeism. Irrespective of increasing emotional problems,

boys who were bullied would still be more likely to miss school than boys who were not bullied.

The second factor was support from friends. The main issue that was explored here was the

possibility that friends could mediate the relationship between being bullied and school absenteeism. In

other words, is the support received from friends more important in reducing absenteeism for those children

who are bullied than for those who are not bullied? In general, the answer to this question was no. For both

boys and girls, friend support was associated with reduced school absenteeism regardless of the
 49

experience of bullying. This was found in most cases except for girls who were psychologically bullied. For

these girls, friendship support mediated the relationship between their experience of bullying and school

attendance. But this was not in the expected direction. Girls who were psychologically bullied were more

likely to miss school if they received support from their friends than if they did not. As discussed, the

relatively under-researched dynamics of girls’ friendships might provide some explanations for this finding.

Though not specific to the Ghanaian context, recent research suggests that forms of bullying are often

integral to the complex dynamics of girls’ friendships.

At the micro-level, the inter-relationships between bullying, emotional problems and friendships

raised in this paper need much more detailed research that might suggest appropriate points for

intervention to provide a safer learning environment for all students. Indeed, this monograph suggests that

policies such as UNICEF’s Child Friendly Schools should look at the appropriateness of infrastructure,

teacher-pupil relations, events of physical and verbal aggression and at a practical level encourage forms

of student support or counselling to deal with bullying and its consequences, feelings of alienation and

anxiety, to provide a safer environment for learning for all learners.

It is evident that many students are subjected to bullying within the school environment in Ghana.

This not only describes an often unfriendly and unsafe environment for learning, it is also related to school

absenteeism and therefore access to schooling. Both threaten the delivery of the right of students in Ghana

to quality education and this may compromise the value of investment in the use of education as a strategy

for development? There are gender differences in the findings: most surprisingly perhaps in relation to

friend support mitigating absenteeism. It is evident that conditions within schools and among peers have

important influences on sustained school access. This is a salutary message given that the student

perspectives explored in this paper are those who have otherwise managed sustained access to senior

secondary level and are thus part of a highly selected and educated proportion of their age-cohort.
 50

CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURE

This chapter presents the methods and techniques of the study, the population and the sample of
the study, the research instrument and the data collection, the data processing and statistical treatment.

Methods and Techniques of the Study

The descriptive type of research was used in this study. According to Fraenkel et. al (2006),
descriptive research, also known as statistical research, describes data and characteristics about the
population or phenomenon being studied. Descriptive research answers the questions who, what, where,
when and how. Descriptive research involves gathering data that describe events and then organizes,
tabulates, depicts, and describes the data collection. It is concerned with conditions or relationships that
exist, opinions that are held, processes that are going on, effects that are evident or trends that are
developing. It is primarily concerned with the present, although it often considers past events and
influences as they relate to current conditions.

Moreover, Borg et. al (2002) stated that descriptive studies are aimed at finding out what is, so
observational and survey methods are frequently used to collect descriptive data.

According to Birion et. al, (2005), the descriptive research is conducted to describe systematically
a situation or area of interest factually and accurately. These include population census studies, public
opinion surveys, fact-finding surveys, status studies, task analysis, questionnaire and interview studies,
observation studies, job description, surveys of literature, documentary analysis, anecdotal records, critical
incident reports, test score analyses and normative data

Since this study will describe the awareness and practices on bullying of the maritime students of
CELTECH enrolled for the first semester of Academic Year 2014-2015, the descriptive research
methodology is the most appropriate method to use.

Data Gathering Procedure

Upon the approval of the questionnaire, the researcher sought the permission of the Director for
Research to conduct the study. To answer questions that may arise during the administration of the
questionnaire from the respondents and to have 100% retrieval, the proponent administered the instrument
personally. The data that were gathered were checked and tallied and made ready for presentation,
analysis and interpretation using the appropriate statistical treatment.
 51

Population and Sample of the Study

Respondents of the study were the first and second year maritime students of students in Central
Luzon College of Science and Technology enrolled for the Academic Year 2014 - 2015.

Table 1

Distribution of Respondents

Maritime Students Population Sample

First Year 382 195
Second Year 326 178
Total 708 373

To determine the sample size the Slovin’s formula was used with a .05 margin of error.

Research Instrument

The main instrument that was used in this study is the questionnaire. Part 1 dealt with the profile of the
respondents in terms of age, gender, sexual orientation and gender, identity, height, weight, civil status,
religion, nationality, monthly income of the family, program and year. Part II investigated on students being
bullied by other students and part III was about students bullying other students. The questionnaire of the
study is patterned after OLWEUS Bullying Questionnaire of OLWEUS Bullying Prevention Program.

Construction and Validation of the Instruments

Through reading of several literature and studies, the researcher came up with an instrument to be
used in this study. The questionnaire was prepared and arranged according to the sequence in the
statement of the problem. Since the questionnaire was devised by the proponent and patterned after
OLWEUS questionnaire, it was presented initially to the research director, and to the panel for comments
and suggestions.

Data Processing and Analysis

Data which were gathered was organized, tallied, and processed using the Statistical Package for
the Social Sciences (SPSS). The following were the statistical techniques employed to answer the specific
questions raised in the study: Frequency, percentage and mean were used to determine the profile of the
respondents; and Chi-Square was used to determine the correlation of the profile of the respondents and
their practices on bullying.
 52

The following scales were used to qualify the responses of the respondents:

5 4.21-5.00 Always This happens 100-75% of the time

4 3.41-4.20 Most of the Time This happens 50-74% of the time

3 2.61-3.40 Sometimes This happens 25-49% of the time

2 1.81-2.60 Seldom This happens 1-24% of the time

1 1.00-1.80 Never This never happens at all or 0% of the time

CHAPTER 4
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
 53

This chapter presents the summary of the acquired data from the questionnaire which were
analyzed and interpreted with emphasis on the variables mentioned in Chapter 1.

Table 1
Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Profile of the Respondents

Age Frequency Percent

14.00 1 .5
15.00 10 5.0
16.00 57 28.5
17.00 62 31.0
18.00 36 18.0
19.00 9 4.5
20.00 9 4.5
21.00 8 4.0
22.00 2 1.0
23.00 3 1.5
24.00 2 1.0
29.00 1 .5
Total 200 100.0
Gender Frequency Percent
Male 194 97.0
Female 6 3.0
Total 200 100.0
Civil Status Frequency Percent
Single 199 99.5
Married 1 .5
Total 200 100.0
HEIGHT (cm) Frequency Percent
140-144 2 1.0
145-149 1 .5
150-154 22 11.0
155-159 82 41.0
160-164 65 32.5
165-169 23 11.5
170-174 5 2.5
 54

Age Frequency Percent

14.00 1 .5
15.00 10 5.0
16.00 57 28.5
17.00 62 31.0
18.00 36 18.0
19.00 9 4.5
20.00 9 4.5
21.00 8 4.0
22.00 2 1.0
23.00 3 1.5
24.00 2 1.0
29.00 1 .5
Total 200 100.0
Weight(kg) Frequency Percent
40-44 14 7.0
45-49 41 20.5
50-54 35 17.5
55-59 52 26
60-64 25 12.5
65-69 18 9.0
70-74 11 5.5
75-79 2 1.0
80-84 1 .5
85-89 1 .5
Total 200 100.0
Religion Frequency Percent
Catholic 173 86.5
Iglesia ni Kristo 5 2.5
Born Again 11 5.5
Methodist 2 1.0
Aglipay 6 3.0
Jehova's Witness 1 .5
Mormons 1 .5
Baptist 1 .5
Total 200 100.0
Nationality Frequency Percent
Filipino 198 99.0
American 2 1.0
Total 200 100.0
Monthly Income Frequency Percent
<10000 85 42.5
 55

10000-12000 33 16.5
12001-14000 23 11.5
14001-16000 14 7.0
16001-18000 18 9.0
18001 and above 27 13.5
Total 200 100.0
Program and Year Frequency Percent
BSMarE1 67 33.5
BSMarE2 39 19.5
BSMT1 55 27.5
BSMT2 39 19.5
Total 200 100.0
Length of Stay Frequency Percent
1-2 semester 128 64.0
3-4 semester 67 33.5
5-6 semester 2 1.0
7-8 semester 1 .5
9-10 semester 2 1.0
Total 200 100.0

Table 1 presents the frequency and the percentage distribution of the profile of the respondents.

As to the ages of the respondents, they range from 14 to 29 with an average of 16.67 years old.

Majority of the respondents fall between the ages of 16-18 with 155 or 77.5% of the respondents, followed

by age 15 with 10 or 5% and 19-21 years old with 26 or 19.5%. The age groups with the lowest frequency

were those aged 22-29 with 8 or 4% and aged 14 with 1 or 0.5% of the respondents. This is the age

bracket of the newly graduate high school students.

As to the gender, the males outnumbered the females with194 or 97% while there were only 6 or

3% of the respondents. Thus, it can be noted that BSMT and BSMar-E programs are programs usually

taken by males. .
 56

As to the civil status, 199 or 99.5% are single and only 1 or 0.5% is married. The majority of the

respondents fall between the ages of 16-18 with 155 or 77.5%. This age bracket indicates that their

attention is focused on studying and finishing a program of their choice.

As to the height of the respondents, they range from 140-174 cm with an average of 157cm. Most

of the respondents fall between 155-159cm with 82 or 41%, followed by 106-164cm with 65 or 32.5% and

165-169 with 23 or 11.5% and 150-154 with 22 or 11%. The ranges of height of the respondents with the

lowest frequency are 170-174 with 5 or 2.5%, 140-144 with 2 or 1% and 145-149 with 1 or 0.5%.

According to a study that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations DNA conducted, Filipinos are

the second shortest race in the region. Filipino males and Vietnamese males have an average height of

162 centimeters, 2 cm shorter than the average Southeast Asian height of 164 cm. and 2 cm taller than the

Indonesian males. On the distaff side, Filipino females have an average height of 150 cm. a humble 3 cm.

advantage over Indonesian females but also 3 cm shorter than the Southeast Asian average.

As to the weights of the respondents, they range from 40-89kg with an average of 55.85kg. Most

of the respondents fall between 55-59kg with 52 or 26%, followed by the weight range of 45-49kg with 41 or

20.5% then by weight range of 50-54kg with 35 or 17.5% and 60-64kg with 25 or 12.5%. The ranges of

weight of the respondents with the lowest frequency are 65-69kg with 18 or 9%, 40-44kg with 14 or 7%, 70-

74kg with 11 or 5.5%, 75-79kg with 2 or 1% and 80-84 and 85-89 with both1 or 0.5%. This indicates that

most of the respondents have normal weight as to the body mass index for Filipinos.

As to the religions of the respondents, majority are Catholics with 173 or 86.5%, followed by Born

Again with 11 or 5.5%, Aglipay and Iglesia ni Kristo with 6 or 3% and 5 or 2.5% respectively. The religions

with the lowest frequency were Methodist with 2 or 1% and Jehova's Witness, Mormons and Baptist with 1
 57

or 0.5 %. This means that anybody can take the program and anybody can bully or be bullied regardless of

once religion.

As to the nationality of the respondents, majority are Filipinos with 198 or 99% and only 2 or 1%

are Americans.

As to the monthly income of the family of the respondents, most of the families of the respondents

earn less than PhP10,000.00 a month with 85 or 42.5%, followed by PhP10,000.00 - PhP12,000.00 with 33

or 16.5%. Quite a number earn PhP18,001.00 and above with 27 or 13.5%, some earn PhP12,001.00 -

PhP14,000.00 with 23 or 11.5% and PhP16,001.00 - PhP18,000.00 with 18 or 9%. Only 14 or 7% of

families earn from PhP14,001.00 - PhP16,000.00. It can be concluded that most of the respondents belong

to poor families. The minimum wage in region 3 is PhP336.00 according to the Philippines National

Wages & Productivity Commission. With this meager income, their parents cannot solely support them

in their studies. Most of them are supported by their relatives and other sponsors.

As to the program and year of the respondents, 67 or 33.5% belong to the BSMarE1and BSMarE2

with 39 or 19.5%; and BSMT1 with 55 or 27.5% and BSMT2 with 39 or 19.5%.

As to the length of stay of the respondents in Central Luzon College of Science and Technology,

majority of them stay for 1-2 semesters with 128 or 64%, some of them stay for 3-4 semesters with 67 or

33.5%, 2 or 1% stay for 5-6 and 9-10 semesters and only 1 or 0.5% stay for 7-8 semesters.

The data presented signify that most of the respondents stay in Central Luzon College of Science

and Technology for 1-2 semesters with 128 or 64%.

It can be concluded that age, gender, height, weight, religion, race or nationality and social status are

factors to consider why a person bully and/or being bullied by others. This is supported by Lyness (2013) when he

said that everyday thousands of teens wake up afraid to go to school. Bullying is a problem that affects millions of

students, and it has everyone worried, not just the kids on its receiving end. Two of the main reasons people are
 58

bullied are - because of appearance and social status. Bullies pick on the people they think don't fit in, maybe

because of how they look, how they act, for example, kids who are shy and withdrawn, their race or religion, or

because the bullies think their target may be gay or lesbian.

In addition, according to Michael David C. Tan, publishing editor of Outrage Magazine, the only lesbian, gay,

bisexual and transgender (LGBT) publication in the Philippines, this is a development worth highlighting “particularly

because of the higher risk for gender non-conforming people including members of the LGBT community- to be

bullied because of their being different. It is sad that for many LGBT people, getting bullied is somewhat accepted as

a ‘norm’, with many bullies actually getting a free pass because they conform to social constructs.

Furthermore, perpetrators of verbal bullying use words, statements and name-calling to gain power and

control over a target. Typically, verbal bullies will use relentless insults to belittle, demean and hurt another person.

They choose their targets based on the way they look, act or behave.

This is supported by Secretary Luistro when he said that anti-bullying acts include cyber-bullying aside from

inflicting physical harm to the child and utterance of slanderous statements or accusations which causes the victim

undue emotional distress such as the use of profanities, name-calling and commenting negatively on the victims’

looks, clothes and body.

According to a study from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, more than 1 out of 4 middle school students say they have been bullied, while 15% of high

schools students answer similarly.

 59

Table 2

Mean Ratings of the Respondents Being Bullied By Other Students

Items Mean Interpretation

Ratings
1. I was called mean names, was made fun of, 1.6818 This never happens at
or teased in a hurtful way. all or 0% of the time
2. Other students left me out of things on 1.4000 This never happens at
purpose, excluded me from their group of friends all or 0% of the time
or completely ignore me.
3. I was hit, kicked, pushed, shoved around, or 1.3100 This never happens at
locked indoors. all or 0% of the time
4. Other students told lies or spread false 1.3850 This never happens at
rumors about me and tried to make others all or 0% of the time
dislike me.
5. I had money or other things taken away from 1.3300 This never happens at
me or damaged. all or 0% of the time
6. I was threatened or forced to do things I did 1.3150 This never happens at
not want to do. all or 0% of the time
7. I was bullied with mean names or comments 1.3750 This never happens at
about my race or color. all or 0% of the time
8. I was bullied with mean names or comments 1.2650 This never happens at
about my religion. all or 0% of the time
9. I was bullied with mean names, comments, or 1.4150 This never happens at
gesture with a sexual meaning. all or 0% of the time
10a. I was bullied with mean or hurtful 1.4350 This never happens at
messages, calls or pictures, or in other ways on all or 0% of the time
my cell phone or over the Internet (computer).
Grand Mean This never happens at
1.3912
all or 0% of the time
4.21-5.00 Always 3.41-4.20 Most of the Time
2.61-3.40 Sometimes 1.81-2.60 Seldom
1.00-1.80 Never

Table 2 is a presentation of the mean ratings of the respondents being bullied by other students.
 60

Items 1 to 10 have mean ratings ranging from 1.3100 - 1.4350 which mean that those instances

cited never happened at all or 0% of the time.

Table 3
Chi-square Data to Determine Correlation Between the
Profile of the Respondents and Their Experiences
on Being Bullied By Other Students

Variable X2 Df Critical Value Interpretation

Age 18.97 20 31.41 Not Significant
Gender 0.39 2 5.99 Not Significant
Height 39.46 30 43.77 Not Significant
Weight 111.99 82 104.14 Significant
Civil Status 0.22 2 5.99 Not Significant
Religion 23.22 14 23.69 Not Significant
Nationality 0.44 2 5.99 Not Significant
Monthly Income 19.40 10 18.31 Significant
Program and Year 8.90 6 12.59 Not Significant
Length of Stay 5.48 8 15.51 Not Significant
Level of Significance: 0.05

Table 3 presents the chi-square data to determine correlation between the profile of the

respondents and their practices when being bullied by other students.

The age, gender, height, civil status, religion, nationality, program and year and length of stay with

chi-square value of 18.97, 0.39, 39.46, 0.22, 23.22, 0.44, 8.90 and 5.48; degrees of freedom of 20, 2,230,

2, 14, 2, 6, and 8; critical value of 31.41, 5.99,43.77, 5.99, 23.69, 5.99, 12.59 and 15.51; and a significant

level of 0.05 are not significant. It means that the variables mentioned have no correlation with the

practices on bullying of the respondents.

On the other hand, the weight and the monthly income with chi-square values of 111.99 and 19.40;

degrees of freedom of 82 and 10; critical values of 104.14 and 18.31; and a significant level of 0.05 are

significant. These imply that these two variables have correlation with the practices on bullying of the

respondents.
 61

Table 4

Mean Ratings of the Respondents About Bullying Other Students

Items Mean Interpretation

Ratings
How often have you taken part in bullying 1.5930 This never happens at all or
another student(s) at school in the past 0% of the time
couple of months?
I called another student(s) mean names 1.6450 This never happens at all or
and made fun or teased him or her in a 0% of the time
hurtful way.
I bullied him or her with mean or hurtful 1.3568 This never happens at all or
messages, calls or pictures, or in other 0% of the time
ways on my cell phone or over the Internet
(computer).
I bullied him or her in another way. 1.5381 This never happens at all or
0% of the time
Grand Mean 1.5357 This never happens at all or
0% of the time
4.21-5.00 Always 3.41-4.20 Most of the Time
2.61-3.40 Sometimes 1.81-2.60 Seldom
1.00-1.80 Never

Table 4 presents the mean ratings of the respondents about bullying other students. All the items

mentioned with its equivalent mean ratings mean that they never happened at all.
 62

Table 5
Chi-square Data to Determine Correlation Between the Profile
of the Respondents and Their Practices
on Bullying Other Students

Variable X2 Df Critical Value Interpretation

Age 86.85 120 146.57 Not Significant
Gender 2.15 12 21.03 Not Significant
Height 68.43 72 92.81 Not Significant
Weight 95.65 108 133.26 Not Significant
Civil Status 1.81 12 21.03 Not Significant
Religion 40.59 84 106.40 Not Significant
Nationality 2.69 12 21.03 Not Significant
Monthly Income 71.39 60 79.08 Not Significant
Program and Year 44.88 36 51.00 Not Significant
Length of Stay 40.44 48 65.17 Not Significant
Level of Significance: 0.05

Table 5 presents the chi-square data to determine correlation between the profile of the

respondents and their practices on bullying other students. All the items mentioned on the Table with its

equivalent chi-square, degrees of freedom and critical values mean that they are not significant as to their

practices on bullying other students.

 63

CHAPTER 5

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION

This chapter presents the summary of the findings based on the gathered data relative to the

problem cited in Chapter 1 of this study. This also includes the conclusion drawn, which were derived from

the findings and the recommendations for the usefulness of this study to the readers, benefactors and

researchers.

Summary

The general problem of this study is to find out the practices on bullying of maritime students in

Central Luzon College of Science and Technology enrolled in the first semester for Academic Year 201-

2015.

Specifically, the study sought answers the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 age;

1.2 gender;

1.3 height;

1.4 weight;

1.5 civil status;

1.6 religion;

1.7 nationality;

1.8 monthly income of the family;

1.9 program and year; and

1.10 length of stay in Central Luzon College of Science and Technology?

2. What are the practices of maritime students on bullying?

 64

3. What is the correlation of the profile of the respondents and their practices on bullying?

Findings

From the gathered data which were analyzed and presented, the following findings were drawn:

1. Profile of the respondents. The respondents are first and second year BSMarE and

BSMT programs who stayed in Central Luzon College of Science and Technology for 1-2 semesters. The

age of the majority of the respondents fall between the ages of 16-18. The males outnumbered the females

who are mostly single with an average height of 155-159cm and weight falling between 55-59kg. Most of

them are Catholics and Filipinos with monthly income of less than PhP10,000.00.

2. The Practices of Maritime Students on Bullying

2.1 Respondents Being Bullied By Other Students

Instances like: Other students left them out of things on purpose, excluded them

from their group of friends or completely ignore them; they were hit, kicked, pushed,

shoved around, or locked indoors; other students told lies or spread false rumors about

them and tried to make others dislike them; they had money or other things taken away

from them or damaged; they were threatened or forced to do things they did not want to

do; they bullied with mean names or comments about their race or color; they were bullied

with mean names or comments about their religion; they were bullied with mean names,

comments, or gesture with a sexual meaning; they were bullied with mean or hurtful

messages, calls or pictures, or in other ways on my cell phone or over the Internet

(computer) never happened at all.

2.2 Respondents Bullying Other Student

 65

Instances like: Taking part in bullying another student(s) at school in the past

couple of months; calling other student(s) mean names and making fun or teasing him or

her in a hurtful way; I bullying him or her with mean or hurtful messages, calls or pictures,

or in other ways on cell phone or over the Internet (computer); and bullying him or her in

another way never happened at all.

Conclusions

There is no correlation between the profile of the respondents and their experiences on being

bullied by other students in terms of age, gender, height, civil status, religion, nationality, program and year

and length of stay in Central Luzon College of Science and Technology except for weight and the monthly

income.

There is no correlation between the profile of the respondents and their practices on bullying

other students in terms of age, gender, height, weight, civil status, religion, nationality, monthly income of

the family; program and year and length of stay in Central Luzon College of Science and Technology

except for weight and the monthly income.

Recommendations

In view of the foregoing findings and conclusions, the following recommendations are hereby

presented for consideration.

1. The college should have a clear policy on bullying as stressed by the Department of Education

(DepEd) Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, “Every Filipino child must be protected,” following the signing of the

Implementing Rules and Regulation of Republic Act No. 10627, otherwise known as the Anti-Bullying Act of

2013.
 66

2. Establish intervention programs which include counseling, life skills training and other activities

that will enhance the psychological, emotional and the psycho-social well-being of both the victim and the

bully with the inclusion of all concerned parties such as bullies, victims, witnesses, parents, school officials

as well as other persons that may be affected by the bullying incident. This usually involves counseling of

some sort, either by peers, a school counselor, teachers, or the deans; hand out questionnaires to all

students and teachers and discuss if bullying is occurring. Define exactly what constitutes bullying at

school. The questionnaire is a wonderful tool that allows the school to see how widespread bullying is and

what forms it is taking. Schools also could ask local mental health professionals to speak to students about

bullying behaviors and how it directly affects the victims; and schools need to make sure there is enough

adult supervision at school to lessen and prevent bullying.

3. Impose disciplinary measures as part of their child protection policy against the perpetrators

depending on the gravity and nature of the cases.

4. Discussed the issue of bullying during orientation of students and parent-teacher/administrators

conferences.

5. Form a safety committee headed by the college safety officer, a small group of people focused

on school safety concerns to engage parents and students, as well as others, in bullying prevention. The

following people can make positive contributions to a school safety committee: Administrators can answer

questions about budget, training, curriculum, and local and state laws found in Philippine constitution.

Inventive, respected teachers with strong classroom and “people” skills can give insights. Other school

staff, such as school psychologists, counselors, school nurses, librarians, and bus drivers, bring diverse

perspectives on bullying. Parents can share the family viewpoint and keep other parents in the loop on

committee work. Students can bring fresh views and help identify real-life challenges to prevention. Other
 67

community stakeholders, such as police officers, clergy members, elected officials, and health care

providers can provide a broader perspective.

The primary activities of the school safety committee could be to: Plan bullying prevention and

intervention programs. Set measurable and achievable goals. Implement a bullying prevention effort. Meet

often enough to keep momentum and address barriers. Develop, communicate, and enforce bullying

prevention policies and rules. Educate the school community about bullying to ensure everyone

understands the problem and their role in stopping it. Conduct school-wide bullying assessments and

review other data, such as incident reports. Evaluate bullying prevention efforts and refine the plan if

necessary. Advocate for the school’s work in bullying prevention to the entire school community. Sustain

the effort over time.

6. Schools need to have adequate reporting systems as well. They need to encourage teachers

and staff to report the incidents that occur. This way the school can provide a way to protect students and

prevent these circumstances from occurring again. Reporting also helps track the individual incidents and

responses so that the can see if there’s a trend. By using this system, possible future incidents can be

prevented. Make the reporting system easy to use and confidential, and encourage staff to use it.

Communication is not just verbal. A school can also provide nonverbal cues. These can include interior

decorations like signs, it can include teachers and staff, and it can include the exterior of the school. The

look of the school sends a strong message to students and parents about whether the school fosters a

positive environment. If it does not send a good message, bullying is more likely to occur; engage parents.
 68

Appendix A

The Questionnaire

29 September 2014

Dear Students:

The undersigned is presently conducting a study of Practices on Bullying of Maritime Students in Central
Luzon College of Science and Technology.

Relative to this, kindly fill up the questionnaire below. Rest assured that any information gathered will be
dealt with strict confidentiality according to the ethics of research.

Thank you very much.

Yours sincerely,

Josefina J. Dominado, Ed. D.

Part I. Profile of the Respondents

1. Name (Optional) ____________________________________

2. Age as of last birthday_____________
3. Gender _________Male
_________Female
4. Height__________________________
5. Weight__________________________
6. Civil status_______________________
7. Religion_________________________
8. Ethnicity (Nationality) _________________________
9. Monthly Income of the Family
___ < 10000
___ 10000 – 12000
___ 12001 – 14000
___ 14001 – 16000
___ 16001 – 18000
___ 18001 and above
10. Program and Year_________________
11. Length of stay in CELTECH
_____1 – 2 semesters
 69

_____3 – 4 semesters
_____5 – 6 semesters
_____7 – 8 semesters
_____9 – 10 semesters

Part II. First, bullying is defined as saying mean or hurtful things, or making fun of him or her, or calling him
or her mean and hurtful names; teasing more than just once in a mean and hurtful way; completely ignoring
or excluding him or her from their group of friends or leave him or her out of things on purpose; hitting,
kicking, pushing, shoving around, or locking him or her inside a room; threatening or forcing him or her to
do things he or she does not like to do; telling lies or spreading false rumors about him or her or sending
mean notes and trying to make other students dislike him or her; and making mean comments on his or her
race or color and religion.

It is bullying when these things happen more than just once, and it is difficult for the student being bullied to
defend himself or herself.

But it is not called bullying when the teasing is done in a friendly and playful way. Also, it is not bullying
when two students of about equal strength or power argue or fight.

Here are some questions about BEING BULLIED BY OTHER STUDENTS.

Choose the letter next to the answer that best describes how you think or feel about bullying.
1. I was called mean names, was made fun of, or teased in a hurtful way.
A. It has not happened to me in the past couple of months
B. Only once or twice
C. 2 or 3 times a month
D. About once a week
E. Several times a week

2. Other students left me out of things on purpose, excluded me from their group of friends or completely
ignore me.
A. It has not happened to me in the past couple of months
B. Only once or twice
C. 2 or 3 times a month
D. About once a week
E. Several times a week

3. I was hit, kicked, pushed, shoved around, or locked indoors.

A. It has not happened to me in the past couple of months
B. Only once or twice
C. 2 or 3 times a month
D. About once a week
E. Several times a week

4. Other students told lies or spread false rumors about me and tried to make others dislike me.
A. It has not happened to me in the past couple of months
B. Only once or twice
C. 2 or 3 times a month
 70

D. About once a week

E. Several times a week

5. I had money or other things taken away from me or damaged.

A. It has not happened to me in the past couple of months
B. Only once or twice
C. 2 or 3 times a month
D. About once a week
E. Several times a week

6. I was threatened or forced to do things I did not want to do.

A. It has not happened to me in the past couple of months
B. Only once or twice
C. 2 or 3 times a month
D. About once a week
E. Several times a week

7. I was bullied with mean names or comments about my race or color.

A. It has not happened to me in the past couple of months
B. Only once or twice
C. 2 or 3 times a month
D. About once a week
E. Several times a week

8. I was bullied with mean names or comments about my religion.

A. It has not happened to me in the past couple of months
B. Only once or twice
C. 2 or 3 times a month
D. About once a week
E. Several times a week

9. I was bullied with mean names, comments, or gesture with a sexual meaning.
A. It has not happened to me in the past couple of months.
B. Only once or twice
C. 2 or 3 times a month
D. About once a week
E. Several times a week

10. I was bullied with mean or hurtful messages, calls or pictures, or in other ways on my cell phone or over
the Internet (computer).
A. It has not happened to me in the past couple of months.
B. Only once or twice
C. 2 or 3 times a month
D. About once a week
E. Several times a week
 71

Part III. Here are some questions about BULLYING OTHER STUDENTS
11. How often have you taken part in bullying another student(s) at school in the past couple of months?
A. I have not bullied another student(s) at school in the past couple of months
B. It has only happened once or twice
C. 2 or 3 times a month
D. About once a week
E. Several times a week

12. I called another student(s) mean names and made fun or teased him or her in a hurtful way.
A. It has not happened in the past couple of months
B. Only once or twice
C. 2 or 3 times a month
D. About once a week
E. Several times a week

13. I bullied him or her with mean or hurtful messages, calls or pictures, or in other ways on my cell phone
or over the Internet (computer).
A. It has not happened in the past couple of months
B. Only once or twice
C. 2 or 3 times a month
D. About once a week
E. Several times a week

14. I bullied him or her in another way.

A. It has not happened in the past couple of months
B. Only once or twice
C. 2 or 3 times a month
D. About once a week
E. Several times a week

Thank you very much!

 72

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/school-bullying.html

http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/effects/index.html

http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/school-bullying.html

http://bullybeware.com/faq/bullying/59-what-are-the-different-kinds-of-bullies.html

http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/effects/index.html

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/problems/bullies.html#

http://bullying.about.com/od/Basics/a/6-Types-Of-Bullying.htm

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/se/samplepolicy.asp

http://www.echs.edwrds.k12.il.us/StudentBullyingSurvey.pdf

http://curry.virginia.edu/uploads/resourceLibrary/School_Climate_Bullying_Survey_Description_for_Distribu
tion_5-22-12.pdf

http://psychcentral.com/lib/how-do-we-stop-bullying-in-schools/0002371

http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/at-school/

http://www.bully-buster.com/how_to_prevent_stop_bullying.php

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/how-raise-happy-cooperative-child/201212/7-ways-schools-can-
prevent-bullying

http://www.crisisprevention.com/Resources/Article-Library/Nonviolent-Crisis-Intervention-Training-
Articles/10-Ways-to-Help-Reduce-Bullying-in-Schools

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/76818/deped-issues-implementing-rules-on-anti-bullying-act

http://www.mb.com.ph/schools-to-submit-anti-bullying-policies-statistics-to-deped/

http://www.gov.ph/2013/12/13/implementing-rules-and-regulations-of-republic-act-no-10627/

http://outragemag.com/sogi-included-anti-bullying-act-2013-irr/

http://www.healthofchildren.com/M/Moral-Development.html
 73

PRACTICES ON BULLYING OF MARITIME STUDENTS

IN CENTRAL LUZON COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A Thesis
Presented to the Faculty
of Central Luzon College of Science and Technology

By

JOSEFINA JARING – DOMINADO, ED. D.

June 2015
 74

Approval Sheet
 75

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

These are the precious people who have deeply touched the heart of the researcher. She believes

that had not nor been for their concern, she could have not done this undertaking.

Ati Myrna Dumayas – Matira, whose commitment and wit had significantly helped the researcher

“pick up the pieces” and who taught her before she realized and more than she herself can imagine;

My special thanks to her mother Ambrosia for patience in training and guiding her to become a full

grown, responsible and mature person;

For always standing by her, the researcher feels so great for having a loving and supportive family:

Edwin, her husband, Kharis and Malen, Atche, Matet and Korinne, her children and sisters Frances, Nila

and Liza, and grandchildren Chazz and Kuting whose support remain ever constant despite many

obstacles that come their way;

The respondents, for sharing their precious time in answering patiently the questionnaire;

Central Luzon College of Science and Technology – Olongapo, for their unending support;

Above all, the warmest acknowledgement is due to the Almighty God for providing all the need

strengths: mental, emotional, physical and spiritual, and in continuously showering his endless love,

boundless guidance and support. Without his intercession, this study would not have been realized.

JJDominado
 76

DEDICATION

"There are countless ways of achieving greatness,

but any road to achieving one's maximum
potential must be
built on a bedrock of respect for the individual,
a commitment to excellence,
and a rejection of mediocrity."

This work is sincerely dedicated to:

Ambrocia
THE GREATEST GUARDIAN,

Edwin
A CANE to hold on to,

Kharis and Malen, Cheryll and Frederick,

Korinne and Chazz
SHIELDS to depend on,

BUT MOST OF ALL

for making me unique in His eyes.
 77

ABSTRACT

This study is focused on practices of bullying by maritime students in Central Luzon College of

Science And Technology enrolled during the first semester and second semester academic year 2014 -

2015. The profile of the respondents was described in terms of age, gender, height, weight, civil status,

religion, nationality, monthly income of the family, program and year; and length of stay in Central Luzon

College of Science and Technology. The study also identified the experiences of the respondents being

bullied by other students and experiences bullying other students.

The respondents were 373 maritime students. The questionnaire was the main instrument in the

data gathering designed by the researcher.

The findings on respondents being bullied by other students showed that instances like: Other

students left them out of things on purpose, excluded them from their group of friends or completely ignore

them; they were hit, kicked, pushed, shoved around, or locked indoors; other students told lies or spread

false rumors about them and tried to make others dislike them; they had money or other things taken away

from them or damaged; they were threatened or forced to do things they did not want to do; they bullied

with mean names or comments about their race or color; they were bullied with mean names or comments

about their religion; they were bullied with mean names, comments, or gesture with a sexual meaning; they

were bullied with mean or hurtful messages, calls or pictures, or in other ways on my cell phone or over the

Internet (computer) never happened at all.

On the other hand, findings on respondents bullying other student showed that instances like:

Taking part in bullying another student(s) at school in the past couple of months; calling other student(s)

mean names and making fun or teasing him or her in a hurtful way; I bullying him or her with mean or

hurtful messages, calls or pictures, or in other ways on cell phone or over the Internet (computer); and

bullying him or her in another way never happened at all.

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Recommendations include that the college should have a clear policy on bullying as stressed by

the Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, “Every Filipino child must be

protected,” following the signing of the Implementing Rules and Regulation of Republic Act No. 10627,

otherwise known as the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013; establish intervention programs which include

counseling, life skills training and other activities that will enhance the psychological, emotional and the

psycho-social well-being of both the victim and the bully with the inclusion of all concerned parties such as

bullies, victims, witnesses, parents, school officials as well as other persons that may be affected by the

bullying incident. This usually involves counseling of some sort, either by peers, a school counselor,

teachers, or the deans; hand out questionnaires to all students and teachers and discuss if bullying is

occurring. Define exactly what constitutes bullying at school. The questionnaire is a wonderful tool that

allows the school to see how widespread bullying is and what forms it is taking. Schools also could ask

local mental health professionals to speak to students about bullying behaviors and how it directly affects

the victims; and schools need to make sure there is enough adult supervision at school to lessen and

prevent bullying; impose disciplinary measures as part of their child protection policy against the

perpetrators depending on the gravity and nature of the cases; discussed the issue of bullying during

orientation of students and parent-teacher/administrators conferences; form a safety committee headed by

the college safety officer, a small group of people focused on school safety concerns to engage parents

and students, as well as others, in bullying prevention; and schools need to have adequate reporting

systems as well. They need to encourage teachers and staff to report the incidents that occur. This way the

school can provide a way to protect students and prevent these circumstances from occurring again.

Reporting also helps track the individual incidents and responses so that the can see if there’s a trend. By

using this system, possible future incidents can be prevented. Make the reporting system easy to use and

confidential, and encourage staff to use it. Communication is not just verbal. A school can also provide

nonverbal cues. These can include interior decorations like signs, it can include teachers and staff, and it
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can include the exterior of the school. The look of the school sends a strong message to students and

parents about whether the school fosters a positive environment. If it does not send a good message,

bullying is more likely to occur; engage parents.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

TITLE PAGE………………………………………………………………………………………………….i

APPROVAL SHEET…………………………………………………………………………………………ii

ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………………………………..iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT…………………………………………………………………………………….iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………………………………….v

LIST OF APPENDIX…………………………………………………………………………………………vi

LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………………………………………..vii

LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………………………………….viii

CHAPTER

I THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING……………………………………………………………………

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..

Conceptual Framework………………………………………………………………….

Statement of the Problem……………………………………………………………….

Statement of the Hypothesis…………………………………………………………….

Significance of the Study………………………………………………………………...

Scope and Limitations……………………………………………………………………

Definition of Terms………………………………………………………………………..

II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK……………………......................................................................

Relevant Theories…………………………………………………………………………

Related Literature………………………………………………………………………….

Related Studies……………………………………………………………………………
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III RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURE………………………………………………….

Research Methodology……………………………………………………………

Data Gathering Procedures……………………………………………………….

Population and Sample…………………………………………………………….

Research Instrument……………………………………………………………….

Validation of the Instrument……………………………………………………….

Statistical Treatment………………………………………………………………..

VI PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA…………………………

V SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION…………

Summary of Findings……………………………………………………………….

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………

Recommendation ……………………………………………………………………

APPENDIX…………………………………………………………………………………………………………68

BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………………………………………..72

CURRICULUM VITAE ……………………………………………………………………………………………

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LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

Figure Page

1. Paradigm of the Conceptual Framework…………………………………………………

Table Title Page

Table 1 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Profile of the Respondents……………………..

Table 2 Mean Ratings of the Respondents Being Bullied By Other Students………………………

Table 3 Chi-square Data to Determine Correlation Between the Profile of the Respondents and
Their Experiences on Being Bullied By Other Students………………………………………

Table 4 Mean Ratings of the Respondents About Bullying Other Students…………………………

Table 5 Chi-square Data to Determine Correlation Between the Profile of the Respondents and
Their Practices on Bullying Other Students……………………………………………………
 83

CURRICULUM VITAE

JOSEFINA JARING - DOMINADO

32 Graham Street, East Bajac Bajac

Olongapo City 2200

PHILIPPINES
(047) 222-2252
jjdominado@yahoo.com

WORK / TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Full Time College Professor

Central Luzon College of Science and Technology
Olongapo City
August 2012 – present

PART TIME COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR

St. Joseph College, Inc.- Olongapo City
Olongapo City
October 2007- 2012

VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

St. Benilde Center for Global Competence
Olongapo City
June 2008-November 2009

PART TIME COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR

BEST Freeport Colleges, Inc.
Subic, Zambales
November 2007

PART TIME COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR

Kolehiyo ng Subic
FDO Bldg. Sto Tomas, Subic, Zambales
June 2004-October 2007

SUBJECT AREA, COORDINATOR (MATHEMATICS)

Columban College,Inc.
Olongapo City
 84

June 1999-March 2001

FULL TIME COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR

Columban College, Inc., Olongapo City
June 1980-October 2001

FULL TIME HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER

St. James School
Subic, Zambales
June 1979-March 1980

EDUCATION

POST GRADUATE

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION MAJOR IN EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT

March 2011
Bataan Peninsula State University
City of Balanga 2100 Bataan, Philippines

GRADUATE

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MATHEMATICS

June 2000
Angeles University Foundation
Angeles City, Philippines

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (18 units)

Dela Salle University
Manila, Philippines

COLLEGE

BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

March 1979
Columban College, Inc.
Olongapo City, Philippines

SECONDARY

COLUMBAN COLLEGE, INC.

March 1974
Olongapo City, Philippines
 85

ELEMENTARY

KALALAKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

March 1970
Olongapo City, Philippines

ACHIEVEMENTS / AWARDS

Certificate of Excellence as Speaker, “Upgrading Teaching Strategies: a

Meaningful Start”, College of the Most Holy Trinity, Sacrifice Valley, Hermosa,
Bataan, 11 May 2011.

Certificate of Commendation, Faculty Performance Evaluation Rank No.3,

White Rock Beach Resort Hotel, Matain, Subic, Zambales, April 2008.

Certificate of Recognition, 21 Years of Service, George Dewey

Convention Center, SBMA, Olongapo City, 13 November 2000.

Author. A Work Text in Algebra for College Students, 2000.

Author. My Personal Encounter with a Living God, 2000.

Scholarship for College Education, Missio Germany, 1976-1979.

SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING

 8th National Congress, 21st Century Teachers: Soaring High in Achieving Global
Competence, Baguio City, October 10 -12, 2014, Participant

 Alternative Modes of Assessing Learning, Baliuag University, Baliuag, Bulacan, 24

September 2010

 Making Pre-Service Education Responsive to Basic Education Thrusts, Angeles

University Foundation, City of Angeles, Pampanga, 26 September 2008,
Participant

 Teachers’ Professionalism: Issues and Challenges, Baliuag University, Baliuag,

Bulacan, 20 February 2008, Participant

 Each One a Peacebuilder, St. Francis Square, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Manila,
12 October 2007, Participant

 Promoting Effective Partnership among Teacher Education Institutions and

Cooperating Schools, Bulacan State University, City of Malolos, Bulacan, 28
September 2007, Participant
 86

 The Experiential Learning Courses in the Teacher education New Curriculum:

Issues and Concerns, Angeles University Foundation, City of Angeles, Pampanga,
24 August 2007, Participant

 Test Construction, Measurement and Evaluation, and Teaching Methodologies

and Strategies, Kolehiyo ng Subic, Subic, Zambales, 3,9-10 May 2007, Participant

 Exploring Dimensions of Alternative Assessment, Baliuag University, Baliuag,

Bulacan, 23 February 2007, Participant

 Enhancing Instruction Through Functional Research, Angeles University

Foundation, City of Angeles, Pampanga, 26 January 2007, Participant

 Orientation on the Policies, Standards and Guidelines on the Implementation of

the Executive Order no. 358, To Institutionalize a Ladderize Interface Between
Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Higher Education (HE),
University of the Assumption, City of San Fernando, Pampanga, 5 December
2006, Participant

 Proposed Policies and Standards on the Addendum to CMO 30, of s. 2004,

Program Administration of the Undergraduate Teacher Education Curriculum,
Saint Paul University, Quezon City, 28 November 2006, Participant

 Seminar-Workshop in Developing Curriculum for Ladderized Program, Columban

College, Inc., Olongapo City, 11-12 October 2006, Participant

 Understanding Constructivism and Its Application in the Different Subject Areas,

University of the Assumption, City of San Fernando, Pampanga, 26 September
2006, Participant

 Future Educators: Exuding Excellence, Olongapo Convention Center, Olongapo

City, 1 March 2006, Participant

 Creative Teaching for Maximum Learning, University of the Assumption, City of

San Fernando, Pampanga, 24 February 2006, Participant

 Teacher: Catalyst of Change Project, University of the Assumption, City of San

Fernando, Pampanga, 11-13 January 2006, Participant

 Diocesan Catechetical Conference, Iba, Zambales, 24 July 2000, Participant

 Community Extension Seminar, Columban College, Inc., Olongapo City, 9 July

2000, Participant

 Textbook Writing, Columban College, Inc., Olongapo City,

 87

May 2000, Participant

 Seminar Workshop on Values Alignment Program, Columban College, Inc.,
Olongapo City, 5-7 May 2000, Participant

PERSONAL INFORMATION

 Eligibility : National Board for Teachers,

April 29, 1979
 Civil Status : Married
 Date of Birth : 5 September 1957
 Place of Birth : Dinalupihan, Bataan
 Nationality : Filipino
 Religion : Catholic
 Husband : Edwin B. Dominado
 Children : Kharis Kerby J. Dominado
Doctor of Education Major in Educational
Management, Master of Science in Computer
Science, Master of Arts in Teaching, Bachelor of
Science in Computer Information System

Cheryll Kerby J. Dominado

Master in Business Administration
Bachelor of Science in Accountancy
Bachelor of Elementary Education

Lyanna Korinne P. Lacson

Grade 10

 Mother’s Name : Ambrocia R. Concepcion

 Father’s Name : Jose C. Jaring