As a parent, you may not realize that your child is being bullied. It is important to maintain open communication on a daily basis with your child, and discuss as much as your child will share.Bullying is most frequently the cause of a lot of the problems in the society; it is the most common cause of suicides aroundthe world. This problem is also more frequent in children that are in school, because in all the schools are someone that likes to disturb or to make others feel bad.  Some teachers realize of this problem but they can’t do anything because these problems affect only the kids and they are the only ones that can give a final solution for this problem.

The bullying affects a lot the personality and the way to be of the persons, they started to have bad character and they are almost all the time alone, they also don’t have a good relation with their parents and friends.

According to The Teen Online & Wireless Safety Survey, 81% of students believe that they can get away with online bullying because it is easier to hide than a physical confrontation. Actually, the opposite is true because with online attacks, everything is recorded; there is proof of the abuse.

Most people know that bullying is wrong. Calling someone names has absolutely no beneficial purpose. Moreover, hitting someone makes a bully feel good in the moment while doing permanent damage to the person being victimized. With the Internet, people now have even more opportunities to bully through cyberbullying. This includes sending crude pictures, posting fake web pages, or tweeting slanderous messages. Cyberbullying has subsequently led to a rise in a completely new kind of bullying.

Another unfortunate consequence of this is that bullying is often cyclical. People who have been bullied can, in an attempt to gain their power and self-esteem back, become bullies themselves. In relation to this, bullies who are not confronted or stopped may find themselves in future positions where they can bully as adults. This is where manipulative bosses and child abusers come from.

Some effects of bullying are not always obvious to the naked eye. The results of bullying might grow and appear over time, damaging a person in profound ways for the long term. There are so many effects of bullying that they are impossible to count or predict. This is why it is so important to stop bullying.

The Philippines is one of the first countries to implement an anti-bullying act in the world, otherwise known as the Anti-bullying act of 2013. Anti-bullying act is part of our child protection policy.It includes 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.

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.

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.

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.

Bullying is wrong. It’s never ok. It’s never cool. It never makes you look good by doing it. You always have a choice. Be the person that is smart enough and confident enough to be friends with everyone you meet. By doing so, you’re sending the message that you’re self-assured enough not to care what others may think. “Be the Change You Want to See in the World”-Ghandi

 

By: Jervel A. Josafat