DepEd combats child abuse in schools

Violence whether physical, verbal, or sexual usually results in low self-esteem, fear, anger, and
helplessness among children.

MANILA, Philippines Jonathan Ramos, a 19-year-old college exchange student in

South Korea, has vivid memories of his terror teacher in grade school.
A Public Administration student at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, he recalls
how as a Grade 3 pupil he and his classmates were subjected to their teachers verbal
abuse. Every day she cursed us. Thats how I learned to curse. Good thing, I dont do
that anymore.
Everyone in his class, mostly 9-year-olds, had a bad experience with her. One time, we
were cleaning our classroom; she said we are not allowed to talk while were arranging
the chairs. So I just mouthed what I wanted to say to my classmate. She saw me and
asked me to come to her, and then she slapped me with her plastic slipper.
He didnt report the abuse. I didnt know that it was abuse at that timeWe thought that
it was just the norm inside the class. She was our teacher in all subjects, so we didnt
know how other Grade 3 teachers treated students.
John Joshua, 15, experienced bullying from older students who threatened him and
extorted money from him when he was in Grade 3. Redmon, also 15, experienced
physical abuse from his elementary classmates who pulled his hair and teased him.
Even Education Secretary Armin Luistro said that when he was in kindergarten, an irate
music teacher approached him when she saw him chatting with his classmates. His
teacher put a scotch tape on his lips.
Luistro said that a simple act of abuse like this can negatively affect a childs behavior.
It was an experience which, in the eyes of an adult, seems petty. But if you put
yourselves in that situation, in the shoes of that student, the impact would be different,
he said.

Violence in school
According to a 2009 report of PLAN Philippines, a childrens organization, at least 5 out
of 10 Filipino children in grades 1-3, 7 out of 10 in grades 4-6, and 6 out of 10 in high
school have experienced some kind of violence in school.
It was discovered that violence whether physical, verbal, or sexual usually results in
low self-esteem, fear, anger, and helplessness among children.
The most common forms of physical violence experienced by Filipino children are:

Pinching

Having objects such as books, chalks, erasers thrown at them

Being kicked, choked, hit on the head or nape area, or having ones head banged

PLAN stresses that physical punishment does not automatically equate to improved
child discipline. On the contrary, it tends to make children more violent and aggressive
as they grow up. In extreme cases, such punishments can even lead to serious physical
injuries and death.
Physical punishments, it says, are linked to poor learning outcomes and higher dropout
rates among students. It has found that children who are discriminated on the grounds
of disability, class, ethnicity, and sexuality are more likely to suffer from such
punishments.
Based on the same study, psychological and verbal abuse are the most common form of
violence experienced by most Filipino students. These take the form of:

teasing

name-calling

cursing

shouting

harsh language

Exploitation
Based on the PLAN survey, over a third, or 35.5% of the interviewed elementary and
high school students reported having been spoken to in a sexually offensive or
suggestive manner by fellow students and teachers.
12.82% reported that they were touched inappropriately not only by their peers, but by
teachers too who sexually harassed students.
PLAN found out that some students are victims of manipulation and exploitation done by
either fellow students or teachers. They are forced to give objects or money, usually in
the form of school contributions or payments for school projects. If unable to pay, they
were either punished physically, ordered to leave the class, or disallowed from taking
exams.
Such problems are mainly attributed to the lack of proper training and motivation among
teachers.
Abuse in schools
In a 2010 report, the World Health Organization says that approximately a fifth of
women and 5-10% of men report being sexually abused as children. Such child
maltreatment may cause lifelong physical and mental health predicaments.

In 2006 the United Nations published a report on violence against children. The report
identified schools as one of the settings where children may be at most risk.
In the Philippines, around 500 to 800 cases of child abuse are annually committed by
teachers, based on a study by the Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists of the Philippines
Inc (CAPPI).
In 2006, CAPPI reported that half of the perpetrators in schools were teachers. A small
percentage also included janitors, bus drivers, and other school personnel.
Existing laws
Despite obvious harmful effects, 89 countries still allow teachers to physically punish
students in their care. This is known as corporal or physical punishment which involves
the use of physical force that causes some degree of pain or discomfort.
In the Philippines, corporal punishment is prohibited, following the issuance in 1974 of
the Child and Youth Welfare Code (Presidential Decree No. 63, Article 59). It prohibits
any mental and physical violence against children.
Child abuse is punishable by Philippine law the Special Protection of Children against
Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act (RA 7610) of 1992 ensures the safety and
welfare of the Filipino youth.
The 1987 Constitution also says that, The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in
nation building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual
and social well-being.
Despite the abundance of laws, child abuse still occurs in primary and secondary
schools in the country. Some of these cases, if not most, also go unreported.
Whats being done?

To address this, the Department of Education (DepEd) has released a comprehensive

policy that will ensure the protection of students against bullying, abuse, exploitation and
discrimination in schools.
Luistro and other officials signed on Thursday, May 3, the Child Protection Policy, which
covers measures to prevent abuses against children in schools, and provides for
processes to be followed when abuses are committed.
The objective of the policy is to observe and promote zero tolerance on any act of child
abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination, bullying, and other forms of abuse in
school, Luistro said.
Involvement of school personnel in abusing students or negligence by school personnel
in protecting child protection in school could result in administrative cases or dismissal
from services.
On the other hand, students involved in abusing another student would face counseling
and

other

penalties.

The policy will be tested in the coming school year in 4 pilot schools: 15th Avenue
Elementary School, Aguinaldo Elementary School, Jose P. Laurel Elementary School,
and Juan Sumulong High School.

Child Protection Committee

Education Undersecretary Alberto Muyot said that the policy is a product of school
officials' negligence and inaction on various reports of abuses in schools.
To bridge this gap, the policy mandates the establishment of a Child Protection
Committee (CPC) in all public and private elementary and secondary schools. CPC will
be tasked to draft a code of conduct to ensure child protection and safety. This will be
reviewed every 3 years.

DepEd is also obliged to develop a system for reporting, information education,

monitoring the exercise of disciplinary action, and recommendation to address and
prevent all forms of abuse.
Luistro urged the use of modules on positive and non-violent discipline in the classroom,
along with anger and stress management and gender sensitivity for school personnel,
students and teachers. This will hopefully help them understand and deal with child
abuse.
John Joshua and Redmon, who attended the DepEd launch, see the program as a great
help in eliminating abusive acts inside schools and lifting the spirits of students.
Students like us will now feel safe. More children wont be afraid to go to school
anymore, they said.
Jonathan has not heard from his Grade 3 teacher since. Some of his friends tell him that
she now works in Cambodia, still as a teacher. Rappler.com
Apathy is just as bad as the crime itself. Report child abuse in the Philippines.
Visit www.stairwayfoundation.org. Emailinfo@stairwayfoundation.org. Call 0917-8431922. Stairway Foundation Inc. Bgy Aninuan, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro.

MICAELA NINA O. MALOLOY-ON

BMLS-2D

PROBLEM:
Child Abuse in Schools

DESIGN: QUALITATIVE/QUANTITATIVE
QUANTITATIVE It presents quantitative relationships involved.

METHOD USED:
SURVEY- PLAN Philippines had a survey on elementary and high school
students who were touched inappropriately or having been spoken to in a
sexually offensive manner by fellow students and teachers.
INTERVIEWING (UNSTRUCTURED OR NONDIRECTIVE) They have
interviewed previous victims of child abuse of their experience and how it
affected their lives.

WHO ARE THE PARTICIPANTS?

PLAN OF THE PHILIPPINES
STUDENTS WHO WERE ABUSED
TEACHERS

SETTING: WHERE IS IT CONDUCTED?

Manila, Philippines

MICAELA
BMLS-2D

NINA

O.

MALOLOY-ON

HOTPLATE - Hot plates are used for heating samples and are used as an
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CENTRIFUGE - used for the separation of fluids, gas or liquid, based on

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