PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

ABOUT BULLYING

A Public Service Announcement Presented to

The Faculty of English Department

Our Lady of Fatima University

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for

Purposive Communication

By

BARRO, PATRICK MICHAEL DC.

CALICA, MARY ANTONETTE C.

ESCARE, DE ANNE H.

GRAY, DENESSSA C.

MARQUEZ, MA KATRINA D

REYNERA, PATRICIA MARIE G.

SALUD, JEMINA HILARY

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INTRODUCTION

Bullying

Teasing is often part of growing up — almost every child experiences it. But it isn't

always as innocuous as it seems. Words can cause pain. Teasing becomes bullying when it is

repetitive or when there is a conscious intent to hurt another child, says Merle Froschl,

Co-Director of Educational Equity Concepts, a non-profit organization that addresses issues of

teasing and bullying. Bullying includes a range of behaviors, all of which result in an imbalance

of power among children. It can be:

● Verbal bullying ​which includes name calling or insulting someone about physical

characteristics such as their weight or height, or other attributes including race, sexuality,

culture, or religion

● Physical bullying ​which includes hitting or otherwise hurting someone, shoving or

intimidating another person, or damaging or stealing their belongings

● Social bullying ​which includes consistently excluding another person or sharing

information or images that will have a harmful effect on the other person.

If any of these behaviours occur only once, or are part of a conflict between equals (no matter

how inappropriate) they are not bullying. The behaviours alone don't define bullying. Verbal,

physical and social bullying can occur in person or online, directly or indirectly, overtly or

covertly.
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Bullying can happen in person or online settings. Online bullying is sometimes called

cyberbullying. Verbal, physical and social bullying can happen ​in person​. Verbal and social

bullying can happen ​online​, as can threats of physical bullying. Specific features of online

settings create additional concern for students, parents and carers, and teachers. For example,

bullying someone online can potentially have an enormous audience. Research shows that

children who are bullied online are often also bullied in person. This means that effectively

dealing with online bullying means looking at other situations as well.

Bullying can be by direct or indirect means. ​Direct bullying ​occurs between the people

involved, whereas indirect actions involve others, for example passing on insults or spreading

rumours. ​Indirect bullying ​mostly inflicts harm by damaging another's social reputation, peer

relationships and self-esteem. ​Bullying can be easy to see, called overt, or hidden from those not

directly involved, called covert. ​Overt bullying ​involves physical actions such as punching or

kicking or observable verbal actions such as name-calling and insulting. Overt, direct, physical

bullying is a common depiction of bullying. (This is sometimes called 'traditional bullying').

Covert bullying ​can be almost impossible for people outside the interpersonal interaction to

identify. Covert bullying can include repeatedly using hand gestures and weird or threatening

looks, whispering, excluding or turning your back on a person, restricting where a person can sit

and who they can talk with. Covert social or verbal bullying can be subtle and even sometimes

denied by a person who claims they were joking or 'just having fun'.
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Some bullying is both covert and indirect, such as subtle social bullying, usually

intentionally hidden, and very hard for others to see. This type of bullying is often

unacknowledged at school, and can include spreading rumours, threatening, blackmailing,

stealing friends, breaking secrets, gossiping and criticising clothes and personalities. Indirect

covert bullying mostly inflicts harm by damaging another's social reputation, peer relationships

and self-esteem, that is, through psychological harm rather than physical harm.

Gender makes a difference, with girls, bullying is often subtle and indirect, says Rachel

Simmons, author of ​Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls​. Instead of

snatching a toy from another child, a young girl might say, "Give me that toy or I won't be your

friend anymore." Older girls can be mean without saying a word: by telling other girls not to be

friends with a particular girl, giving her the silent treatment, rolling their eyes in class, or making

rude noises. Sometimes, says Simmons, girls make a hurtful remarks and then pretend they didn't

mean it by saying "just kidding."

Boys, on the other hand, tend to be more physical, says James Silvia, a teacher at St.

Bernard's School in New York City who has taught children from fourth through seventh grades

for 38 years. "Boys push each other or take someone's sneaker and put it in the garbage, but they

don't hold grudges. One boy can do something really mean to another boy and then later the

same day they will be pals again."

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Bullying can happen anywhere. It can happen at home, at work or at school. It can

happen to anyone. Bullying can occur between students, staff and parents/carers. Bullying. No

Way! focuses on bullying between students, usually called student bullying or school bullying.

How Bullying Starts

Bullying behavior is prevalent throughout the world and it cuts across socio-economic,

racial/ethnic and cultural lines. Researchers estimate that 20 to 30 percent of school-age children

are involved in bullying incidents, as either perpetrators or victims. Bullying can begin as early

as preschool and intensify during transitional stages, such as starting school in first grade or

going into middle school, says Sharon Lynn Kagan, Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of

Early Childhood and Family Policy at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Children learn bullying behavior from older children, from adults, and from television,

says Kagan. Sometimes unconsciously, parents may repeat things their own parents said to them:

"Why are you always late? Why do you always lose everything? Why can't you act your age?" If

children experience put-downs or physical punishment at home or in school, and if they see

emotional and psychological abuse go unchallenged, they believe this behavior is acceptable.

Bullies like to feel powerful and in control. They are insensitive to the feelings of others and

defiant toward adults. Victims are often shy and tend to be physically weaker than their peers.

They may also have low self-esteem and poor social skills, which makes it hard for them to stand
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up for themselves. Bullies consider these children ​safe targets because they usually don't

retaliate.

Effects of Bullying

If the child is the victim of a bully, he may suffer physically and emotionally, and his

schoolwork will likely show it. Victims of bullying often have trouble concentrating, says

Simmons. Grades drop because, instead of listening to the teacher, kids are wondering what they

did wrong and whether anyone will sit with them at lunch. If bullying persists, they may be

afraid to go to school. Problems with low self-esteem and depression, Simmons finds, can last

into adulthood and interfere with personal and professional lives.

Bullies are affected, too, even into adulthood; they may have difficulty forming positive

relationships. They are more apt to use tobacco and alcohol, and to be abusive spouses. Some

studies have even found a correlation with later criminal activities.

Teasing and bullying create a classroom atmosphere that affects children's ability to learn

and teachers' abilities to teach, says Merle Froschl. Even kids who aren't directly involved can be

distressed. "Children who see bullying can be as traumatized as the victims because they fear

becoming victims themselves. And they feel guilty for not doing something to help," according

to James Garbarino, professor of human development at Cornell University, and author of ​Lost

Boys​ and ​Words Can Hurt Forever.​

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FINDINGS

Around 130 million, or one in three children worldwide, experience some form of

bullying, the United Nations stated in its latest report on how children can be better protected.

The report said this form of violence has long-lasting and direct consequences on their health,

school performance and overall well-being.

Some of the initial findings of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children report

denote that physical appearance – such as being overweight or having non-conforming gender

expressions – is the main driver for bullying. Race, nationality and skin color are also high on the

list. In the report, religion was not highlighted as a major contributing factor.

According to the consolidated report of Department of Education (Dep Ed), ​bullying

cases on elementary and high school of both private and public schools on 2014 rose by 21% or

a total of 6,363 cases, compare with the 5,236 in 2013. This translates to 31 daily ​bullying cases

from a divisor of

201 school days. The statistics were disclosed by Rep. Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr., a member of

the House committee on basic education. [ source: ​Interaksyon​ ]

According to a 2017 research by Scientific Research Publishing done by Margaret S.

Sanapo of the College of Policy Science, Ritsumeikan University, Ibaraki-Osaka, Japan, “40.6%

or roughly four out of 10 Filipino children experienced bullying from their peers. This
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prevalence rate is comparable to two studies done in the Philippines (Jacobsen & Fleming, 2009;

Rudatsikira et al., 2008).

Alice G. Walton of Forbes magazine reports: “The participants were also twice surveyed

when they were between 19 and 26, answering questions about their current mental health. In

this way, the team could determine whether they suffered from mental health disorders like

depressive disorders, anxiety disorders (like generalized anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and others),

substance dependence, and antisocial personality disorder, as per the DSM-4.

“Kids who had been victims only (who never bullied others) had greater risk for

depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, generalized anxiety, panic disorder and agoraphobia as

adults” Walton, however, adds a more frightening scenario: “But worse off were kids who were

both bully victims and bullies – they experienced all types of depressive and anxiety disorders,

and suffered most severely from suicidal thoughts, depressive disorders, generalized anxiety and

panic disorder, compared with the other groups of participants. In fact, about 25% of these

participants said they had suicidal thoughts as young adults, and about 38% had panic disorder.”

Genevra Pittman of Reuters reported in 2013, “ In the new study, depression and anxiety

tied to bullying at school persisted at least through people’s mid-twenties. Worst off were those

who had been both bullies and targets of bullying, according to findings published Wednesday in

JAMA Psychiatry”
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CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, bullying is a complex issue. It has various forms. Verbal and Physical

bullying are direct forms of bullying that involve teasing or hitting a bullying victim. Relational

and Cyberbullying are indirect forms of bullying that consist of isolating someone from a social

group or harassing them online. Whatever the form of bullying, it can deeply affect the person

bullied. Many that are bullied commit suicide. The ones that do not commit suicide have an

altered view of the world. To stop bullying, it is important to recognize the signs, to make

bullying a thing of the past, not the present or future.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Parents, school staff, and other caring adults have a role to play in preventing bullying. They can:

1. Help Kids Understand Bullying

Kids who know what bullying is can better identify it. They can talk about bullying if it

happens to them or others. Kids need to know ways to safely stand up to bullying and

how to get help.

● Encourage kids to ​speak to a trusted adult​ if they are bullied or see others being

bullied. The adult can give comfort, support, and advice, even if they can’t solve the

problem directly. Encourage the child to ​report bullying​ if it happens.

● Talk about ​how to stand up to kids who bully​. Give tips, like using humor and saying

“stop” directly and confidently. Talk about what to do if those actions don’t work,

like walking away

2. Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Research tells us that children really do look to parents and caregivers for advice and help

on tough decisions. Sometimes spending 15 minutes a day talking can reassure kids that

they can talk to their parents if they have a problem. Start conversations about daily life

and feelings with questions like these:

● What was one good thing that happened today? Any bad things?
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● What is lunch time like at your school? Who do you sit with? What do you talk

about?

● What is it like to ride the school bus?

3. Encourage Kids to Do What They Love

Help kids take part in activities, interests, and hobbies they like. Kids can volunteer, play

sports, sing in a chorus, or join a youth group or school club. These activities give kids a

chance to have fun and meet others with the same interests. They can build confidence

and friendships that help protect kids from bullying.

4. Model How to Treat Others with Kindness and Respect

Kids learn from adults’ actions. By treating others with kindness and respect, adults show

the kids in their lives that there is no place for bullying. Even if it seems like they are not

paying attention, kids are watching how adults manage stress and conflict, as well as how

they treat their friends, colleagues, and families.

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REFERENCES

Lee-Brago, P. (2018, October 9). 130 million kids worldwide experience bullying. Retrieved

from

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/10/10/1858828/130-million-kids-worldwide-experienc

e-bullying

Philippines_Graphic https://philippinesgraphic.net/author/philippines_graphic/. (2019, January

13). Why bullying is not child's play. Retrieved from

https://philippinesgraphic.net/why-bullying-is-not-childs-play/

Types of bullying. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/WhatIsBullying/Pages/Types-of-bullying.aspx

Teasing and Bullying: No Laughing Matter. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=1438&fbclid=IwAR2XTiy4xY1KCyCucATdn

z8Q4Y7vVcLQArnaaGzkVHm8Dx6ylGFwdPyZrWQ

How to Prevent Bullying. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/index.html

Bullying Cases Up by 21% In Philippine Schools. (2019, September 4). Retrieved from

https://asksonnie.info/statistics-bullying-cases-up-by-21-in-philippine-schools/