Department of Education

Region X

Division of Gingoog City

West District I
BANTAAWAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Bantaawan, Gingoog City

ANTI-
BULLYING
SCHOOL Prepared by:

BERNADETTE M. GALGO
Teacher 1

Submitted by:

DAMASO M. PULGO, JR.

Head Teacher III
 INTRODUCTION
All children and young people have the right to go about their daily lives without the fear of
being threatened, assaulted or harassed. No one should underestimate the impact that bullying
can have on a person’s life. It can cause high levels of distress, affecting young people’s well-
being, behavior, academic and social development right through into adulthood.

At School, we are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all of
our pupils so they can learn in a relaxed and secure atmosphere free from oppression and abuse.
Bullying is an act of exerting aggressive, abusive behavior upon others with the intent of causing
them mental, emotional or physical harm. The effects of bullying can be felt anywhere in our
society, but today it is quite prevalent among the youth in our local schools. When fellow
students choose to bully their peers in a school setting, their abusive action causes negative
repercussions all around.

Bullying is an anti-social behavior and affects everyone. All types of bullying are
unacceptable at our school and will not be tolerated to our attention, prompt and effective action
will be taken.

There are many ways in which a student may experience bullying in school; he or she may
also experience bullying to different degrees. Bullying may consist of verbal reproofs such as
name calling, gossiping, teasing or being ridiculed in front of peers. From there it may persist to
mild physical contact to include pushing, shoving, hair pulling or slapping. More aggressive
tactics may entail kicking, punching, being assaulted with a knife or club, being beaten up by a
gang, etc.

Whenever bullying occurs there are consequences to all parties involved. Schools suffer from
bullying as it lowers of the institution and reduces the standard of education. Bullying can easily
destroy a school’s reputation as an educational institution. School officials may be looked upon
as unqualified for their profession as they are unable to provide a safe environment for their
students.

Because bullying has such a detrimental effect on people’s lives, many schools have taken
measures to prevent abusive behavior on their property. These measures begin by assessing the
extent of bullying in their respective institutions. From there, educators can develop programs to
curtail abusive behavior within their environment. Anti-bullying school programs are often more
effective when supported by teachers, parents and local community agencies. By enlisting
outside support, schools can gain valuable insight and services from a wide spectrum of sources.

Types of Bullying
The following are some of the types of bullying behavior that can occur amongst pupils:

a. Physical aggression: This behavior includes pushing, shoving, punching, kicking,

poking and tripping people. It may also take the form of severe physical assault. While pupils
often engage in ‘mess fights’, they can sometimes be used as a disguise for physical harassment
or inflicting pain.

b. Intimidation: Some bullying behavior takes the form of intimidation: it may be based
on the use of very aggressive body language with the voice being used as a weapon. Particularly
upsetting can be a facial expression which conveys aggression and/or dislike.

c. Isolation/exclusion and other relational bullying: This occurs where a certain person
is deliberately isolated, excluded or ignored by some or the entire class group. This practice is
usually initiated by the person engaged in bullying behavior and can be difficult to detect. It may
be accompanied by writing insulting remarks about the pupil in public places, by passing around
notes about or drawings of the pupil or by whispering insults about them loud enough to be
heard. Relational bullying occurs when a person’s attempts to socialize and form relationships
with peers are repeatedly rejected or undermined. One of the most common forms includes
control: “Do this or I won’t be your friend anymore”(implied or stated); a group ganging up
against one person (girl or boy); non-verbal gesturing; malicious gossip; spreading rumors about
a person or giving them the “silent treatment”.

d. Cyber-bullying: This type of bullying is increasingly common and is continuously

evolving. It is bullying carried out through the use of information and communication
technologies such as text, social network sites, e-mail,

instant messaging (IM), apps, gaming sites, chat-rooms and other online technologies. Being the
target of inappropriate or hurtful messages is the most common form of online bullying. As
cyber-bullying uses technology to perpetrate bullying behavior and does not require face to face
contact, cyber-bullying can occur at any time (day or night). Many forms of bullying can be
facilitated through cyber-bullying. For example, a target may be sent homophobic text messages
or pictures may be posted with negative comments about a person’s sexuality, appearance etc.

e. Name calling: Persistent name-calling directed at the same individual(s) who hurts
insults or humiliates should be regarded as a form of bullying behavior. Often name-calling of
this type refers to physical appearance, e.g., size or clothes worn. Accent or distinctive voice
characteristics may attract negative attention. Academic ability can also provoke name calling.
This tends to operate at two extremes. There are those who are singled out for attention because
they are perceived to be weak academically. At the other extreme there are those who, because
they are perceived as high achievers, are also targeted.

f. Damage to property: Personal property can be the focus of attention for bullying
behavior. This may result in damage to clothing, mobile phone or other devices, school books
and other learning material or interference with a pupil’s locker or bicycle. The contents of
school bags and pencil cases may be scattered on the floor. Items of personal property may be
defaced, broken, stolen or hidden.

g. Extortion: Demands for money may be made, often accompanied by threats

(sometimes carried out in the event of the targeted pupil not delivering on the demand). A pupil
may also be forced into theft of property for delivery to another who is engaged in bullying
behavior.

Impacts of Bullying Behavior

1. Pupils who are being bullied may develop feelings of insecurity, humiliation and
extreme anxiety and thus may become more vulnerable. Self-confidence may be damaged with a
consequent lowering of self-esteem. While they may not talk about what is happening to them,
their suffering is indicated through changes in mood and behavior. Extreme cases of bullying
may result in suicide. It is, therefore, essential to be alert to changes in behavior as early
intervention can be very effective.

2. Pupils who witness bullying may also be affected and may suffer in similar ways to
those who are bullied. For example, pupils who witness identity-based bullying and share that
identity can experience anxiety and feel under threat themselves. Pupils can also feel guilt or
distress at not being able to help the person being bullied.

3. There are also consequences for individuals who engage in bullying behavior. Pupils
who become involved in such behavior can be at higher risk of depression. Other possible long-
term consequences may include an increased risk of developing an anti-social personality,
anxiety disorders, a likelihood of substance abuse and law-breaking behavior in adulthood and
decreased educational and occupational attainment.

Indicators of Bullying Behavior

The following signs and symptoms may suggest that a pupil is being bullied:

(i) Anxiety about travelling to and from school e.g. requesting parents to drive or collect
him/her, changing travel routes, avoiding regular times for travelling to and from school;

(ii) Unwillingness to go to school, refusal to attend, truancy;

 (iii) Deterioration in educational performance, loss of concentration and loss of
enthusiasm and interest in school;

(iv) Pattern of physical illnesses e.g. headaches, stomach aches;

(v) Unexplained changes either in mood or behavior which may be particularly noticeable
before returning to school after weekends or more especially after longer school holidays;

(vi) Visible signs of anxiety or distress e.g. stammering, withdrawing, nightmares,

difficulty in sleeping, crying, not eating, vomiting, bedwetting;

(vii) Spontaneous out-of-character comments about either pupils or teachers;

(viii) Possessions missing or damaged;

(ix) Increased requests for money or stealing money;

(x) Unexplained bruising or cuts or damaged clothing; and

(xi) Reluctance and/or refusal to say what is troubling him/her.

There may be other signs depending on the individual and his/her circumstances. The
above signs do not necessarily mean that a pupil is being bullied but if repeated or occurring in
combination, these signs do warrant investigation in order to establish what is affecting the pupil.

The following provides some insight into how our school practically implements the
Anti Bullying Policies when abusive behavior takes place.

1. Once teachers suspect that bullying has occurred, they will investigate the incidents
immediately, gathering as much detail as they can from those involved

2. The head teacher or principal of the school may interview all parties’ involved and
record specifics of the incident for further review

3. Parents will be informed about incidents involving their children and kept updated on
case results

4. After establishing that an offense was indeed committed, disciplinary action may be
taken against offenders as per the policy already established by the school and the seriousness of
the offense

5. When necessary or appropriate, local police may be consulted

 6. Bullying victims may be given moral and emotional support to help them overcome
their negative experience

7. Offending members may receive counseling or moral education to help change wrong
attitudes and behavior patterns

When it comes to disciplinary action for bullying, school policies may differ. Each school
has to decide for it what measures would be most effective for their particular situation. First
time offenders may receive a warning for their abusive behavior, depending on the seriousness of
the case. Other punitive measures may include detention, suspension of privileges, restriction
from certain areas on campus, suspension from class for a determined amount of time and
permanent expulsion.

DAMASO M. PULGO, JR.

Chairman

EPIFANIA D. SAGIWAY GILDA A. MASINLAY

Vice Chairman/ Bry. Captain GAD Coordinator

MEMBERS:

BERNADETTE M. GALGO ALLAN LAGNO MICHAEL S. GIL

Teacher I GPTA President SSC President