Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13) — Solving the issue of bullying in schools would require creating interventions that would stop violence from happening at home, a pediatrician said before a Senate panel on Monday.
During the Senate Committee on Basic Education inquiry on the implementation of the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, Bernadette Madrid said most perpetrators of physical violence among children are family members.
\”The action of a bully reflects what is happening at home most of the time,\” Madrid said. \”They [bully] themselves experience physical, emotional, sexual violence, and even domestic violence among their parents.”
Meanwhile, clinical psychologist Maria Lourdes Carandang said verbal abuse happens even when family members discipline children, which is a \” cultural thing\” that needs to be \”looked at.\”
“When they [family members] discipline, it always involves violence, violence that is verbal,” Carandang said. “Laging may dagdag na insulto like ‘ang tanga mo, ang tamad mo’ plus the physical violence being accepted.”
[Translation: There is always an additional insult like \”you are stupid, you are lazy\” plus the physical violence being accepted.]
Citing the 2016 National Baseline Survey on Violence Against Children, Madrid said 65% or 17.5 million students, ages 13 to 17 years old, experienced bullying while 66% experienced physical violence.
The survey also showed cases of emotional violence (58%), cyberbullying (44%) and sexual violence (20%).
\”So, intervention with the bully needs intervention of what is happening at home,\” said Madrid.
Carandang also said the reporting of bullying incidents must be intensified and that focus should be given on preventive measures, such as initiating a parenting program that educates them about violence and bullying.
