Trends, Networks, and Critical Thinking in the 21 st Century Culture Victims Become Champions: A Case Study Analysis of Bullying in the Philippines Submitted by: ECCLESIASTICO B. APANTO III MARIANIE ALONDRA P. DIAZ JAYVEESON C. CHIN ARBIE CLAIRE D. RICO MARK ANTHONY M. DACER ERWIN ABAYA J-MARK B. ROSALES Grade 12 Section Diamond Submitted to: MS. DIANNE IMPERIAL ACQUIAT Teacher a. Introduction: "The behavior of a bully is a reflection of what is happening at home, most of the time,” stated Bernadette Madrid, of the Child Protection Network Foundation. Bullying is a widespread issue across the world, and the Philippines is no different. It is a type of violent conduct that can occur in a variety of contexts, including the internet and schools. Bullying has gained increased attention in the Philippines in recent years, and several initiatives have been made to combat this issue. An overview of bullying in the Philippines, its causes, consequences, and alternative solutions will be covered in this paper, along with the laws and regulations that have been implemented to address the issue. b. Background: Bullying is defined by Olweus (1993), which is cited by Volk, A. A. et al. (2014) as a negative action where someone intentionally causes injury or discomfort to another, often through physical contact, words, gestures, or exclusion from a group. In the Philippine frame, bullying is seen in any school setting, which matched the data from the Senate hearing on the implementation of the anti-bullying law in the first quarter of 2023, which reported that at least 70% of students in public schools in the country have suffered bullying. The findings of Chiu, H., & Vargo, E. J. (2022) revealed that gender differences, bullying, and other risk factors were linked to adolescent suicidal behavior in the Philippines. Furthermore, the 2016 National Baseline Survey on Violence Against Children conducted by the Council for the Welfare of Children indicated that physical violence was at 66 percent, emotional violence at 58 percent, sexual violence at 20 percent, and bullying at 65 percent. Bullying may be brought about by various factors, including physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, race, or religion. Bullies, on the other hand, could be troubled and unhappy individuals who are looking for love, power, or attention in their own lives. They could take pleasure in hurting people and be oblivious to the feelings of those who are the subject of their bullying. Bullying can appear in different forms, all of which can have a serious negative impact on a person. These include physical bullying, which is done through physical actions; verbal bullying, which is done using rude and insulting words or remarks; social bullying, where a bully constantly excludes people; prejudicial bullying, which is when a victim is bullied based on certain inclinations the bullies have towards something like religion, race, gender, or sexual orientation; and finally, sexual bullying, which is when someone is targeted sexually due to their appearance, sexual development, or attractiveness. These kinds of bullying have different characteristics, but they can all be very humiliating and challenging to deal with for the victim. There is a quote that says, “If children feel safe, they can take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, learn to trust, share their feelings, and grow” (Kohn). Pajarillo-Aquino, I. (2018) concluded that students who are bullied can suffer from low self-esteem and emotional problems, which have a huge effect on their daily lives, and studies and the intensity of the effects of bullying among students show that it exists more in girls than boys. The data that is being shown is a clear sign that bullying should be put to an end. Dr. Jose Rizal once said that the youth is the hope of the nation; it is their responsibility to complete the blocks that form the country, and they can only meet the expectations if they are the best version of themselves. c. Evaluation of the case: There are a lot of actions by the Philippine government that have the purpose of addressing the act of bullying, but these movements obviously have and will have loopholes in terms of implementation. In 2012, the Department of Education (DepEd) enacted a Child Protection Policy designed to help the relevant authorities with the children's rehabilitation and to offer extra protection to children who are seriously threatened or endangered by situations that interfere with their normal development and over which they have no control. In the following year, Republic Act 10627, or the Anti- Bullying Act (the "Act"), was signed into law by former President Benigno Aquino III. The law aims to protect children enrolled in kindergarten, elementary, and secondary schools and learning centers (collectively, “schools”) from being bullied. It requires schools to adopt policies to address the existence of bullying in their respective institutions. According to the DepEd, in the first year of implementation of the AntiBullying Act, there were 1,309 official cases of bullying, and in 2019–2020, it worsened to 11,637 cases. The lawmakers added an assertion in January 2023 during a hearing on the implementation of the anti-bullying law that there are cases that are underreported because of different circumstances. Senator Gatchalian said that the 11,000 cases reported from 2019 to 2020 are not anywhere near 40 to 60% of the student population. “So there is underreporting.” Students’ lack of information about the things that should be done is what the data reflects. This shows that the implementation is a huge problem for the students in the country. According to Inocencio, B. T., and Inocencio, G. S., in 2021, the perception of students towards the implementation of the anti-bullying act in the Public School District of Castillejos, Zambales, Philippines, is excellent in terms of planning, campaigning, and implementation. In contrast, in 2017, there was a report named “Just Let Us Be” that was conducted in 10 cities on the major Philippine islands of Luzon and the Visayas, which is based on interviews and group discussions. It said that “but these policies (the AntiBullying Act, etc.), while strong on paper, have not been adequately enforced. In the absence of effective implementation and monitoring, many LGBT youth continue to experience bullying and harassment in school.” Furthermore, the 2019 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) study showed that Filipino students are most exposed to bullying compared to 79 other countries. The lack of firm solutions, including implementation, for addressing unwanted aggressive behavior has allowed its continuous occurrence across the world, and the Philippines is no different. The cases in 2013–2014 imply that the Anti-Bullying Act is effective, but over the years, the loopholes gradually floated. These attempts to address the act of bullying have been a big help to the state of the Philippines, but the failed implementation of these actions has given disappointment not only to the victims but to all Filipino citizens. The bullied are not only the victims but also the "bullies,” and if there is no change, the problem will surely continue to fail them. d. Proposed solutions: The Republic Act 10627, or the Anti-Bullying Act, is a very good foundation for the prevention of bullying as it aims to alleviate the unwelcoming school atmosphere that interferes with learning and is thus detrimental to a child's overall development, but it needs to be reviewed in view of the fact that the official cases of bullying increased by 10,328 in 2020 since 2013 when it started to be implemented (DepEd, 2023). The law must be examined to make sure it is applied as efficiently as possible than before. There is a need for improvement in promoting greater community awareness to prevent bullying, and it can be done by having a school-based program for students and their parents to disseminate and discuss information relating to the Anti-Bullying Act for them to fully understand. It is for all the students to follow and for the victims to know what to do and what to avoid before, during, and after the act of bullying. Moreover, it is essential to strengthen policies and guidelines to ensure that schools are implementing the Act appropriately. The results of the study by JiménezBarbero, J. A. et al. (2016), from the survey conducted on 30,934 adolescents, indicate that bullying and violence prevention programs in school settings are obtaining beneficial. Research also shows that both students and educators benefit from bullying prevention efforts. Results from a comprehensive and systematic review of research on the effectiveness of school-based programs in reducing bullying show that they effectively reduce bullying by 20 to 23 percent and victimization by 17 to 20 percent (stopbullying.gov, 2021). Teachers and school counselors have an undoubtedly big role in the implementation of the Act, and for them to improve more, they should encourage positive behavior in the classroom, teach students how to resolve conflicts peacefully, and make the students feel safe and valued by including diversity in the curriculum, promoting empathy, and being an advocate for all students. The relationship between student and teacher is very important for the students to be encouraged to report any incidents of bullying. Veenstra, R. et al. (2014) concluded that teachers were related to a reduction in peerreported bullying. The current findings show that teachers can play an important role in anti-bullying programs. Additionally, the findings of Pabian, S., and Vandebosch, H. (2016) indicate that a positive bond with teachers could be a protective factor against bullying via the Internet or mobile phone. Lastly, a decreased chance of both occasional and regular cyberbullying perpetration as well as bullying and cyberbullying victimization was consistently linked to teacher connectivity (Paniagua, C., 2022). Parents are the individuals with the greatest impact on the journey of their child as a student. Bullying is one of the difficult obstacles that youth are affected by, and it is expected that parents give guidance and help to their children in order to keep them from either being bullied or becoming bullies themselves. The results of the study by Lester, L. et al. (2017) demonstrate that parent intervention can have a positive impact on parent-child communication about bullying when it is an integral part of a whole-school approach. Parents’ supportive/relational interventions are also associated with lower levels of cyberbullying behaviors (Nappa, M. R. et al., 2021). Parents should openly discuss bullying with their children, as it can alleviate stress and provide support without judgment or blame. It is crucial for them to inform other teachers, coaches, and counselors about the child's bullying, enabling them to take the necessary actions to prevent it from happening again. Any parent who discovers that their child is bullying others may find it difficult to deal with, but it's critical to act to stop the bad conduct before it has serious and long-term effects on the child. To prevent bullying, it's crucial to understand the child's life and address their struggles with fitting in and relationships. It is important to educate them about the harm caused by bullying and its legal consequences. Lastly, monitor their technology use and establish consistent rules of behavior, as a lack of boundaries may signal a lack of worthiness for your time, care, and attention. The Anti-Bullying Act is a critical step towards promoting a safer and healthier learning environment for students. However, a more thorough and collaborative approach is required to handle this issue since the number of bullying cases keeps rising. This involves developing efficient prevention initiatives, strengthening rules and regulations, and encouraging increased public awareness. Parents, teachers, and counselors are all essential in putting these policies into action and making sure that every kid gets the help that they need to succeed. Together, we can establish a respectful, understanding, and empathic culture that promotes healthy relationships and ultimately prevents bullying from occurring. e. Conclusion: Bullying is truly a major concern in the Philippines, and it affects the mental health and well-being of children in schools. The growing number of incidents of child bullying indicates that the Anti-Bullying Act and other measures are not being adequately implemented. In order to lessen bullying, there should be greater public awareness, parental involvement, and stronger guidelines supported by the government. Schools, parents, and community members need to ensure a healthy and positive learning environment for children. The young people have their own battles to win, and the help of everyone will push them to become the champs in their lives. Therefore, it is time for the Philippines to renew and enforce its Anti-Bullying Act and instill a culture of love, respect, and compassion in all schools and communities for a brighter future. References Chiu, H., & Vargo, E. J. (2022). 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