spot_img
28.4 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

Briones: Review laws on bullying, kicking out bully won’t solve issue

- Advertisement -

Education Secretary Leonor Briones on Wednesday called for a review of laws on bullying after Ateneo de Manila dismissed a Grade 11 student was caught on video kicking and punching a schoolmate in the restroom.

READ: Do more than just kick out a bully­—Briones

Ateneo said “dismissal” meant the boy could no longer study in Ateneo.

“Dismissal is a solution for the school because the bully is no longer in its jurisdiction, but it’s not a solution for the children and it’s not a solution to the problem of bullying in itself,” Briones said in a mix of English and Filipino on radio dzMM.

She said victims could still suffer trauma from the bullying, while the bully could remain unchanged.

- Advertisement -

Expulsion is allowed by current law, but she said this was an extreme step as it meant the student could no longer be admitted to any school.

“We have to review the law. We need to harmonize our law with our policy on child protection,” Briones added.

Meanwhile, a child advocate group called on parents to address the reasons that their children bully others.

Wilma Banaga, child protection advisor of the Save the Children Philippines, said adults—the parents and school officials—must take the responsibility of initiating interventions to stop bullying.

“We need to understand that a child might bully another due to difficulties in managing anger, aggression, non-tolerance for individual differences, experiences of violence at home, or the lack of good role models at home,” she said.

The group said it is important for adults to be good role models to children.

“Parents need to find the time to build a loving relationship with their children, and provide them the necessary guidance for them to grow up to be caring and non-violent individuals, and not children who accept that it is all right to hurt others,” Banaga said.

She also called for protection of privacy of all Ateneo de Manila University junior high school students involved in the viral video of bullying act that went viral on the social media.

“Save the Children Philippines believes that bullying should be taken seriously and immediately addressed by the school or community, and by the families of the children who are involved in this,” Banaga said.

At least three out of five Filipino children have experienced being bullied, according to a 2015 National Baseline Study on Violence against Children of the Council for the Welfare of Children.

“Although schools can impose suspensions or expulsions if circumstances warrant it, we hope that this will be the last resort as such disciplinary measures have been found to increase the risk of children experience negative outcomes later in life, and do little to deter a student from misbehaving,” Banaga said.

READ: Palace eyes Ateneo bullying probe”‹

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles