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CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Background of the Study

Children spend much of their time at school. This leaves them open

to many factors in shaping up their intellectual, social and moral

development. Traditionally, it is in school where an individual’s cognitive

and social aspect, as well as his morality, is being molded. However, it is

also in school where children face different kinds of conflicts: conflict

towards studies, authorities, school policies and peers.

In school, one common conflict towards peers is bullying. It has

been taking place in many schools in different parts of the world. It

manifests in different forms which affects not only the bully and the

victim but also their peers, the school authorities and their families.

Bullying is an aggressive behavior which involves a real or

perceived power imbalance that is repeated, or has a high risk to be

repeated over time.1 Taking place in different forms, bullying can either be

physical, verbal, social and electronic (which was later termed as

cyberbullying). In United States, a recent research conducted by the

National Center for Educational Statistics in 2016 showed that there was

1
Daniel Olweus, Bullying at School: What We Know and What We can Do (Oxford:
Blackwell Publishers, 1993), 3.

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more than one out of every five (or 20.8%) students who reported of being

bullied.

In our country, the Department of Education recorded at least 31

incidents of bullying (public and private elementary and high schools)

everyday by year 2014. This data excludes incidents that were not

reported and victims chose not to expose it due to their certain personal

reasons. 2

Bullying affects the dignity of man. Though each person is different

from the other we are all given the gift of equal dignity indicating that we

are entitled of the same rights and needs. Biblically speaking, God created

man in his own image and likeness 3, of equal right and dignity. We were

given the freedom and is responsible for it and for other person’s freedom.

In his encyclical letter Evangelium Vitae, Saint John Paul II said;

“Life especially human life, belongs to God; whoever attacks

human life attacks God’s very self.”4

God bestowed man his freedom but with freedom comes

responsibility. While eligible to his rights, he is also accountable to respect

the rights of others. Freedom does not imply “the right to say or do

everything.” This idea becomes the wrong connotation of attaining

2
Jess Diaz, 31 Bullying Incidents Take Place Daily in Schools – Report (The Philippine Star,
Sept. 27, 2015).
3
Genesis 1:27, Christian Community Bible.
4
John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 9

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freedom. Man is the subject of freedom. However, freedom is not

grounded to man’s satisfaction to the extent of deviating from moral law. 5

Freedom, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

“…is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to
do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one's own
responsibility. By free will one shapes one's own life. Human
freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness;
it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude.” 6

Condemning the action of a bully will never be a solution and it

would not solve the problem but will only worsen the issue to the extent

of repeating the bullying cycle.

To further address this social issue, the purpose of this study is to

understand the lived experiences of bullies and how they view morality.

Through this the researcher aims to know their awareness regarding

bullying, the factors in shaping up their behavior and the environment

where they belong.

5
CCC 1740
6
CCC 1731

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Statement of the Problem

There has been an alarming increase in number with regards to

bullying both local and international. The moral standards of human

dignity particularly to the part of the bully must be deeply taken into

consideration, in order to minimize if not to end the cycle.

This study shall give answers to the following questions:

1. What were the different types of bullying revealed in the lived

experiences of bullies?

2. What are the lived experiences of a bully?

3. How does a bully view morality regarding bullying per se?

Significance of the Study

This research will help raise the awareness of the community on

the issue of bullying. It shall also call the attention of the society to

understand the lived experiences of bullies and their views on morality.

Furthermore, it shall be beneficial to the following:

1. Researchers – as it will give them supplementary information for

their studies and will give them ideas for their research.

2. Educators – for them to be more aware on the serious case of

bullying, and implement necessary actions whenever

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circumstances take place. It may also help them understand the

bully and properly guide them in shaping up their morality.

3. Parents – to build awareness on the issue of bullying and take

necessary actions to appropriately guide their children.

4. Youth – to give a better understanding on bullying and interfere

whenever bullying happens. It can also be a guide for them to

understand everyone and seek advice to proper authorities.

5. Society – to set consciousness on bullying as one of the serious

social issues of the modern world, for them to give proper solution

without jeopardizing human dignity and moral standards set

therein.

Scope and Delimitation

The focus of the study is on the morality of bullies. In-depth

interviews had been conducted with the bullies. Interviewees are Grades 7

and 8 students from a public junior high school who were considered

bullies identified through ‘snowball sampling’ method.

Definition of Terms

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 Bullying – an aggressive behavior which involves a real or

perceived power imbalance that is repeated, or has a high risk to be

repeated over time.

 Verbal bullying – a form of bullying which includes calling,

insults, teasing, intimidation, homophobic or racist remarks, or

verbal abuse.

 Physical bullying – includes hitting, kicking, tripping, pinching

and pushing or damaging property which causes both long term

and short-term damages.

 Social bullying – sometimes referred to as covert bullying, it

includes lying and spreading rumors, playing nasty jokes to

embarrass and humiliate, mimicking unkindly and encouraging

others to socially exclude someone.

 Cyberbullying – can be overt or covert bullying behaviors using

digital technologies, including hardware such as computers and

smartphones, and software such as social media, instant messaging,

texts, websites and other online platforms.

 Snowball sampling – method in qualitative research where the

existing subjects recruit future subjects among their acquaintances.

The sampling continues until data saturation.

 Morality – principles concerning the right and wrong actions of the

society.

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CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

On Bullying

Considered “pioneer” in bullying research, Dr. Daniel Olweus

initiated the very first systematic bullying research in the world. An

incident back in 1983, wherein three Norwegian teenager boys committed

suicide due to bullying. This occurrence has pursued the development of

the first version of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. 7 In his work,

Olweus classified bully primarily into two distinct groups: aggressive

bullies and anxious bullies.

Aggressive bullies are characterized as provocative and have a high

self-esteem while the latter is noted as the loyal follower of the aggressive

ones.8 The goal of bullying is to take over the other person, the victim,

through coercion either through verbal, physical, social inclusion 9 or

electronic.

7
http://www.violencepreventionworks.org/public/olweus_history.page accessed
September 30, 2018.
8
Carla Bennett, Literature Review of Bullying at Schools, pdf 9.
9
Beale, A.V. & Scott, P.C., Using Drama to empower students to take a stand against
bullying behavior. 12-19.

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A bullying incident happened last 2011 in Australia. A 42-second

video went viral involving a boy named Ritchard Gale (alleged bully) and

Casey Heynes (victim). The victim, Heynes, fought back when Gale

picked him up. In an interview with the bully himself, Ritchard Gale who

insists that he was not the one who started the fight, admitted that he was

once a victim of bullying in primary school and somewhat felt what Casey

Heynes has gone through (being bullied also in his earlier days). 10 In

addition, the boy who recorded the fight was Gale’s friend supported the

latter’s statement.11 In this incident Ritchard Gale is the aggressive bully,

with his friend as the anxious bully and Casey Heynes as the victim.

A recent incident here in the Philippines year 2017 happened in

Sacred Heart College (Lucena). In an interview with the victim’s mother,

she stated that Celine (bully) and her daughter Tasha were friends before

the bullying incident took place. Jealousy made their relationship changed

when Celine felt insecure against Tasha as the former has been frequently

seeing her boyfriend and the latter together.

The viral video involved a group of girls led by Celine as she

confronted Tasha (victim), pointing her (Celine) finger to the victim and

10
https:youtu.be/_IjcLVBBYc accessed October 10, 2018.
11
Ritchard Gale and Fight Video Recorder (Witness) - Today Tonight Interview
http:youtu.be/1oiRaV4M0GM accessed October 10, 2018.

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slapped her face multiple times. Days after the incident the victim said

that she has been receiving threats from Celine’s group.12

To further address this social issue concerning the youth, RA 10627

also known as the “Anti-Bullying Act of 2013” was formulated by the

House of the Representatives. It was later approved on September 12, 2013

by former President Benigno S. Aquino III. The Anti-Bullying Act gives

opportunity to the students (elementary and secondary level) and their

parties to file charges against bullies. Once found guilty the bully may face

legal consequences set therein by the law.

According to Nansel et. al., bullying is a major public health

problem both domestically and internationally, particularly among

school-age children.13 Moreover:

“Studies indicate that bullying experiences are associated with a

number of behavioral, emotional, and physical adjustment problems.
Adolescents who bully others tend to exhibit other defiant and delinquent
behaviors, have poor school performance, be more likely to drop-out of
school, and be more likely to bring weapons to school.”14

Catholic Social Teaching

FULL VIDEO: DALAGITA SA LUCENA, NAKARANAS NG BULLYING MULA SA

12

MGA KAKLASE! https:youtu.be/hem4weBn2OU accessed October 10, 2018.

13
Hamburger, et. al., Measuring Bullying Victimization, Perpetration, and Bystander
Experiences: A Compendium of Assessment Tools.pdf 1
14
Ibid. 13.

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God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of

a person who can initiate and control his own actions. “God willed that

man should be ‘left in the hand of his own counsel,’ so that he might of his

own accord seek his Creator and freely attain his full and blessed

perfection by cleaving to him.”15 Man is both physical and spiritual willed

by God. This affirms the biblical account where “God formed Man, dust

drawn from the clay, and breathed into his nostrils a breath of life and

Man became alive with breath.”16

Bullying was not directly mentioned in the Bible and in Church

documents but as a form of sin it is clearly an attack against human

dignity. Man is created in the image and likeness of God. He is a rational

being bestowed with free will thus, is responsible for his every single

action. Pope Paul VI, in his Dignitatis Humanae stated that, “a sense of the

dignity of the human person has been impressing itself more and more

deeply on the consciousness of contemporary man, and the demand is

increasingly made that men should act on their own judgment, enjoying

and making use of a responsible freedom, not driven by coercion but

motivated by a sense of duty.” 17 His freedom has its corresponding

responsibility in attaining the perfection of truth and goodness towards

God.18 However, man is subjected to sin. As St. Augustine said, “Sin is

15
CCC 1730.
16
Gen. 2:7, CCB.
17
Pope Paul VI, Dignitatis Humanae. pdf 1.
18
CCC 1731.

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love of oneself even to contempt of God.” 19 A bully’s heart is full of pride,

he seeks power, dominance and enjoys inflicting pain on others. In

contrary, a Christian’s heart is humble, he seeks to serve God through

others, obey Him and acts out of love.20

In CCC 357, being as created in the image of God, the human

individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something,

but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of

freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons.

and he is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator, to offer him a

response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead. 21

To address the attack, Pope Pius XII in his encyclical letter Summi

Pontificatus stated:

“The first of these pernicious errors, widespread today, is the

forgetfulness of that law of human solidarity and charity which is
dictated and imposed by our common origin and by the equality of
rational nature in all men, to whatever people they belong, and by
the redeeming Sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ on the Altar of the
Cross to His Heavenly Father on behalf of sinful mankind.”22

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

19
St. Augustine, De civ. Dei 14, 28: PL 41, 436.
20
http://google.com/amp/s/missionventureministries.wordpress.com accessed
October 18, 2018.
21
CCC 357
22
Pope Pius XII, Summi Pontificatus. 35.

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The study used qualitative method through phenomenological

approach to understand the lived experiences of bullies. Specifically, the

research used Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological approach in order to

understand how bullies behave and what factors had influenced them in

their views on morality. The researcher must assume the

phenomenological attitude.

According to Broomé, the phenomenological attitude is different

than the natural attitude or everyday way of understanding the world. In

the phenomenological attitude, the research “brackets” his or her

everyday knowledge to take a fresh look at the data. In other words, the

researcher puts aside his or her presuppositions, theoretical, cultural,

experiential, or otherwise or what we know as bracketing.23

The process of bracketing has been firmly exercised to avoid bias

and personal judgments. In phenomenological inquiry the co-researcher is

being given the chance to have their stories validated through firsthand

information through interviews transcribed through audio-recorded

material. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological research is to

summarize the full meaning of the co-researcher’s experiences as shared

in their own words.24

Rodger E. Broomé , Descriptive Phenomenological Psychological Method: An Example Of

23

A Methodology Section From Doctoral Dissertation. Pdf 11.

24
Marshall, C & Rossman, G. (1999). Designing qualitative research

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Data Gathering Procedure

For the purposes of the research, data were collected through

‘snowball sampling’ method, example, referrals and recommendations

from classroom adviser will be solicited. Four junior high school students

have been the co-researchers in the course of this study. The identity of

each interviewee must be protected and confidentiality must be strictly

observed for their security. The raw data for this study is the “naïve

description” or the first-person accounts of the experiences as lived and

according to the understanding and perception of the participants. 25

25
Ibid. 23.

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Data Analysis Procedure

Data gathered was examined through Giorgi’s data analysis

method. Once all the data has been collected a thorough analysis of

information through phenomenological psychological reduction took

place.26

26
Giorgi, et. al., The Descriptive Phenomenological Psychological Method, pdf.

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(Adapted from Giorgi, 1985, 1997; Giorgi & Giorgi, 2003)

Sense of the Whole

One reads the entire description in order to get a general sense of

the whole statement.

  Discrimination of Meaning Units Within a Psychological Perspective

and  Focused on the Phenomenon Being Researched 

Once the sense of the whole has been grasped, the researcher goes

back to the beginning and reads through the text once more

and delineates each time that a transition in meaning occurs with the

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specific aim of discriminating "meaning units" from within

a psychological perspective and with a focus on the phenomenon being

researched. 

The meaning unit should be made with psychological criteria in

mind. The researcher next eliminates redundancies and clarifies and

elaborates on the meaning of the units by relating them to each other and

to the sense of the whole.

Transformation of Subjects Everyday Expressions into Psychological  Language

with Emphasis on the Phenomenon Being Investigated 

Once meaning units have been delineated, the researcher goes

through all of the meaning units, which are still expressed in the

concrete language of the participants, reflects on them and comes up with

the essence of the experience for the participant. The researcher next

transforms each relevant unit into the language of psychological science.

Synthesis of Transformed Meaning Units into a Consistent Statement of the

Structure of the Experience

Following the use of imaginative variation on these transformed

meaning units the researcher develops a consistent statement regarding

the structure of the participant's experience. (complete this process for

each participant in the study)

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  Final Synthesis

  Finally, the researcher synthesizes all of the statements regarding

each participant's experience into one consistent statement of the structure

of the experience which describes and captures the essence of the

experience being studied.27

27
Giorgi's Empirical Phenomenological Model, Pdf 1.

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CHAPTER IV

RESULTS, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

This chapter presents the key findings obtained from the four

student interviews. Due to time constraints, only four students: grades 7

and 8 were interviewed during the course with the presence of their

classroom advisers.

Data were taken through audio-recorded interviews transcribed by

the researcher (Appendices B to E). The four participants were named as

Co-researcher 1, Co-researcher 2, Co-researcher 3 and Co-researcher 4 for

the confidentiality of their identity. Interview questions for the student

interviews is attached as Appendix A. This chapter is composed of the

findings of the study presented in a tabulated manner.

Results

Through data analysis method using Giorgi’s descriptive

phenomenological method of research, four measuring units emerged

from the gathered data: Family Situation, Bullying Incident as a Bully,

Bullying Incident as a Victim and Moral Views regarding Bullying;

presenting the lived experiences of the four co-researchers who were

identified as bullies.

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Table 1 shows measuring unit “Family Situation” presenting the

quoted statements of each co-researchers and its corresponding syntheses,

same goes with the other three measuring units.

Analysis

After thorough reading of the transcribed materials, the researcher

selected statements from the co-researchers interview, thus formulating

the four measuring units.

Each table shows selected statements of co-researchers and

formulated synthesis in each selected statement for every measuring units.

Table 1. Family Situation

Statement Synthesis

Co-researcher 1

“Eighteen years old na po ako. Lima po Co-researcher 1 shows hatred

kaming magkakapatid, tapos po towards his mother on how he
pangalawa po ako.” (I am now eighteen is being yelled at every time he
years old. We are five siblings and I went home and the manner how
am the second eldest child.) she is telling his actions and
behavior to his father. He also
“Si mama po (nagtatrabaho) sa does not like how his father
production po sa techno park. Papa ko po would react even though he
security guard po.” (My mother works does not know what really
in production at techno park. My happened.
father is working as a security
guard.) With both of his parents
working, the siblings were left
“...lagi pong nagagalit si mama sa akin at home doing the household

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eh, kada pag-uuwi ko po sa bahay…Tapos chores, also leaving them

po minsan kapag nagsasabi po sya kay unsupervised.
papa di nya po ano, di nya po kinukwento
lahat puro yung panenermon lang. Si
papa ayun naman po, papagalitan na rin
po ako kahit di nya po alam yung buong
nangyari.” (..my mother is always mad
at me, every time I go home…
sometimes when she is talking to my
father, she is not telling the whole
story only those when she is scolding
me. Then my father will also scold
me even though he did not know the
whole story.)

Co-researcher 2

“Pito po kaming magkakapatid, pang-lima With all his elder siblings

po ako.” (We are seven siblings; I am started their own families, Co-
the fifth one.) researcher 2 was left together
with his two younger siblings
“Yung mama ko po sa bahay lang, nag- with their parents. He stated his
aasikaso sa amin. Minsan po parents just let him do what he
nagmamanicure lang po dun sa may likes and only scolding him
amin.” (My mother stays at home from time to time.
taking care of us. Sometimes she
does manicure within our place.)

“Papa ko po nagtatrabaho. Di ko po alam

kung saan eh pero sa pabrika po.” (My
father is working. I don’t know
where but in a factory.)

“Hinahayaan lang po ako nila eh. Minsan

po pagsasabihan tapos ayun na po yun.”
(They just let me do what I am doing.
Sometimes they would scold me and
that’s it.)

Co-researcher 3

“May pagawaan po kami ng tsinelas sa The family of co-researcher 3

may amin, yun po yung tinitinda nya can be classified in a middle-

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(mama).” (We have a footwear class family establishing their

business, that is what my mother own footwear business. With
sells.) this, her parents were diligently
working to keep their business
“Okay lang naman po sila, di naman po thriving. This has been a factor
strikto. Kapag ano lang po papagalitan po her parents’ attention creates
kami. Ganun lang po.” (They were gap between their children and
good, they are not strict. They were their small business.
only scolding us.)

Co-researcher 4

“Apat po kami sa pamilya; mama ko po, Co-researcher 4’s parents were

papa ko, ako po tapos yung kapatid ko.” occupied by their works and
(We were four in the family; my went home tired. Lack of time is
mother, father, then me and my his main concern.
sibling.)

“Lagi po silang busy sa trabaho eh,

pagkakadating po pagod. Kakain lang
saglit tapos matutulog.” (They were all
busy at work, everytime they went
home they were exhausted. They will
eat and then go to sleep.)

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Table 2. Incident as the Bully

Statement Synthesis

Co-researcher 1

“Ahm, yung kaklase ko po… kunyari He physically and verbally

susulatan ko po sya sa likod ng ballpen. bullies his classmates. One of his
Kunyari lang po iyun walang tinta po classmates accidentally got
yun. Eh pagsulat ko po bigla syang injured while he was about to
tumakbo. Wasak po yung dito nya do the bullying. His gay
(pointed his forehead), napaano po sa classmate suffers verbal
bato.” (My classmate…I was about to bullying.
write on his back with ball pen. I was
just pretending; the pen has no ink.
When I was about to write he ran. He
had a blow here (pointed his
forehead), he was hit with a rock.)

“Tapos yung sa klase po, sa isang kaklase

ko po, lagi ko po syang pinagttripan.
Tulad ng pang-aasar. Ahm bakla po kasi
sya.” (And then in class, I always
tease my classmate. He is gay.)

Co-researcher 2

“Makikiinom po ako, bago ayaw po ako Co-researcher 2 says he only

painumin. Nanakit po ako.” (I wanted to bullies his male classmates and
drink, but he refuses. I hurt him.) not the female ones. He
physically bullied one of his
“Pinilit ko po sya na magbigay.” (I classmates when he refuses to
forced him to give.) offer him a drink.

“Lalaki po iyon, di po ako nang-aano

(nambubully) ng babae.” (That was a
boy. I never bully a girl.)

Co-researcher 3

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“Minsan lang po.” (Just occasional.) Co-researcher 3 emphasizes that

she occasionally bullies her
“Nung isang beses po, sa science class po classmate. One incident showed
namin yon. Ano po, nahulog po yung how she physically hurt her
salamin ko tapos pinakuha ko dun sa classmate when she refused to
kaklase ko pero po ayaw nyang kunin. picked up the mirror.
Hanggang sa inasar ko po sya, tapos po
ayun kasi nainis na ako parinigan po
kami. Sinambunutan ko po siya.” (One
time, in science class. My mirror fell
and I asked my classmate to pick it
up but she won’t. Until I mock her,
and then I got pissed off. I pulled her
hair.)

Co-researcher 4

“Kapag nambubully po ako inuutusan ko Co-researcher 4 bullies his

po sila na bumili sa canteen, nanghihingi classmates by asking for money
po ng pera mga ganun lang po.” and commands them to buy
(When I bully, I tell them to buy food in their school canteen. His
something in the canteen, I am reason for this is if he did not
asking for money.) get the money from his
classmates, they will only use it
“Kapag hinihingi ko po sa kanila eh kasi for gambling. He seems to be
po eh yung pera po kasi nila the power or the leader within
pinangsusugal lang din po nila kaya his group.
kinukuha ko na lang po. Parang ako po
yung pinaka-power nila ako po yung
sinusunod nila.” (When I ask money, it
is because they only use it in
gambling that is why I get those. It
seems like I am their power, they
follow me.)

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Table 3. Incident as a Victim

Statement Synthesis

Co-researcher 1

“Nung elementary po ako, may tatlo po He was once a victim of

akong kaklase. Palagi po akong inaasar bullying, physically and
nila. Tuwing wala pong teacher, tsaka po verbally, during his elementary
tuwing uwian. Umiiwas nga po ako nun days. It created fear out of him
eh pero lagi po silang lalapit sakin para which leads him into thinking to
lang po mang-asar o kaya po mamamatid stop in his studies. Fighting
kapag napapadaan ako sa kanila.” back from his perpetrators
(When I was in elementary, my three effectively solved his problem
classmates, they always tease me. which led him to become bully.
Whenever the teacher is not around,
and every class dismissal. I stay away
from them but they always come near
me just to tease me or trip my feet
whenever I pass by them.)

“Minsan po naisip ako nun na tumigil na

lang (sa pag-aaral). Pero po magagalit po
sila mama kapag ganun. Isang beses po
pinatulan ko na sila tapos po di na sila
nambully ulit.”
(Sometimes I thought of not going to
school anymore. But I know my
mother will get mad if I do that.
Until one time I fought back and
they no longer bully me after that.)

Co-researcher 2

“Naglalakad po kami mam, sa may amin A bullying incident happened to

po. Palagi po iyon sa may kanto may mga co-researcher with his friend
tumatambay po, lagi po sila nantitrip. between them and some
Hanggang sa isang beses po, yung bystanders within their place.
kaibigan ko may nakaatraso dun tapos ako
po nadamay. Ayun po nagulpi kami

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pareho.” (We were walking in our

place. The bystanders always make
fun of us. Until one time, my friend
got into trouble with one of them. We
were beaten up.)

Co-researcher 3 No incident of bullying where

co-researcher 3 was the victim.
“Wala po, wala naman po.” (Nothing,
there is such no incident.)

Co-researcher 4

“Ano po lagi po nila akong inaasar Because of his dark complexion,

ginagaspang tapos ayun hanggang sa co-researcher 4 was once a
bumawi po ako sa kanila kaya na po ako victim of both verbal and
nambubully na rin. Nung elementary po physical bullying when he was
yun.” (They are always mocking me, in elementary. He soon learned
until I fought back and there, I to fight back to stop his
started to become a bully.) classmates from bullying him
and soon became perpetrator
“Nung ginagaspang po nila ako, himself.
tinatadyakan po nila yung bag ko tapos
hanggang sa natuto po akong bumawi
binawian ko po sila.” (They were so
hard on me, they were kicking my
bag until I learned to fight back, I
fought them back.)

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Table 4. Moral Views Regarding Bullying

Statement Synthesis

Co-researcher 1

“Minsan po nakakapambully ako. Alam He is aware that his actions

ko pong mali, di ko po alam eh di ko po were wrong however, due to
maiwasan. Tapos minsan po ano peer pressure he cannot stop
nauudyok din po ng mga kaibigan mo po. himself from being a bully.
Ganun po.” Sometimes his conscience
(Sometimes I bully. I know that my summons him to stop but he
actions were wrong, but I don’t admitted that sometimes he was
know, I can’t help it. Sometimes I do going beyond the line.
it because of the influence of my
friends.)

“Nakokonsensya rin po ako minsan dun

sa inaasar ko. Kapag minsan po feeling ko
po sobra na, ititigil ko na. Pero minsan
din po napapasobra.”
(I am having second thoughts
whenever I bully them. Sometimes
when I feel that it’s too much, I stop.
But sometimes I am going too much.)

“Ano po pinatawag po yung magulang.

Yung magulang din po nya. Parehas pong
pinatawag yung mga magulang namin…
Pinagsabihan lang po kami.” (They
called our parents…they only
scolded us.)

Co-researcher 2

“Opo. Parehas lang po kami na He knows that his actions were

nagbubullyhan eh.” wrong but reasoned out that it
(Yes. We bully each other.) has been a norm within his
peers.
“Opo (napatawag na po kami sa

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guidance). Pinagalitan po tapos

sinabihan na wag na pong gagawin ulit.”
(Yes (we were directed to guidance).
They scolded us and told us not to do
it again.)

Co-researcher 3

“Okay lang naman po. Napagtitripan Her burst of emotions leads her
lang po naming magkakaibigan minsan.” to bully her classmates. She
(It only depends on me and my knows that she bullies her
friends’ moods.) classmates, that it is wrong and
she is aware that her actions
hurt their feelings.
“Mali po, kasi nasasaktan namin yung
kaklase namin eh. Pero minsan po kasi
kapag naiinis na ako di ko po napipigilan
yung sarili ko.” (It is wrong, because
we are hurting our classmates. But
sometimes when I am pissed, I just
can’t control myself.”

“Inawat lang po kami ng mga kaklase

namin.” (Our classmates mediated to
stop the fight.)

Co-researcher 4

“Hindi naman po siguro. Ano lang po He supposed that what he is

kesa naman po sayangin po nila yung doing is right because it
pera nia sa sugal kunin ko na lang po prevents his classmates to
yung pera nila.” (I don’t think so. It is engage in gambling.
better than if they were using it in
gambling.)

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Interpretation

Each co-researcher shows different family situation but arrives into

same conclusion: they are experiencing deficiency on the relationship to

their family members especially towards their parents. The Bible is telling

us to honor both our mother and father that we may have a long life in the

land that Yahweh has given us.28

This fourth commandment reminds us of our responsibilities

toward our parents. Children should show respect for their parents. The

Bible teaches every child to obey their parents in everything as it is what

pleases the Lord (Col 3:20). CCC 2217 explains that,

“Children should also obey the reasonable directions of their

teachers and all to whom their parents have entrusted them. But if
a child is convinced in conscience that it would be morally wrong
to obey a particular order, he must not do so.”

On the other hand, it is the duty of the parents to educate their

children. Although parents work for the sustenance of the family, the

welfare of the children and their moral development should also be taken

into consideration.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, parents have

the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear

28
Ex. 20:12, CCB.

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witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness,

forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. 29

Physical and verbal bullying being done by the co-

researchers is social sin. They sinned against the justice towards their

classmates. “Social sin is every sin committed against the justice due in

relations between individuals, between the individual and the

community, and also between the community and the individual. Social

sin, too, is every sin against the rights of the human person…every sin

against the physical integrity of the individual…against the freedom of

others.”30 Victims of the co-researchers are being deprived of their rights

towards a peaceful environment and their dignity.

Co-researchers exceeded before their freedom. The misconception

regarding freedom enables them to do things that affect to the point

wherein other people are deprived of their own freedom. “The proper

exercise of personal freedom requires specific conditions of an economic,

social, juridic, political and cultural order that are too often disregarded or

violated.

Such situations of blindness and injustice injure the moral life and

involve the strong as well as the weak in the temptation to sin against

charity. By deviating from the moral law man violates his own freedom,

29
CCC 2223.
30
CSDC 118

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becomes imprisoned within himself, disrupts neighbourly fellowship and

rebels against divine truth”31

31
CSDC 137

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CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The study, which aimed to know the lived experiences of bullies

and its moral implications identified four measuring units in relation to

bullying. Through Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological approach this

research gathered and analyze data unfolding the moral views of co-

researchers.

Summary

This study, through data gathered, has formulated four measuring

units: Family Situation, Incident as the Bully, Incident as a Victim and

Moral Views Regarding Bullying. Each co-researcher presented different

insights from all four measuring units emerged through data analysis

made, though there are some which has the same ideas, as they presented

their lived experiences.

Family Situation

Co-researcher 1.

Co-researcher 1 shows hatred towards his mother on how he is

being yelled at every time he went home and the manner how she is

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telling his actions and behavior to his father. He also does not like how his

father would react even though he does not know what really happened.

With both of his parents working, the siblings were left at home

doing the household chores, also leaving them unsupervised.

Co-researcher 2.

With all his elder siblings started their own families, Co-researcher

2 was left together with his two younger siblings with their parents. He

stated his parents just let him do what he likes and only scolding him

from time to time.

Co-researcher 3.

The family of co-researcher 3 can be classified in a middle-class

family establishing their own footwear business. With this, her parents

were diligently working to keep their business thriving. This has been a

factor her parents’ attention creates gap between their children and their

small business.

Co-researcher 4.

Co-researcher 4’s parents were occupied by their works and went

home tired. Lack of time is his main concern.

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Incident as the Bully

Co-researcher 1.

He physically and verbally bullies his classmates. One of his

classmates accidentally got injured while he was about to do the bullying.

His gay classmate suffers verbal bullying from him.

Co-researcher 2.

Says he only bullies his male classmates and not the female ones.

He physically bullied one of his classmates when he refuses to offer him a

drink.

Co-researcher 3.

Co-researcher 3 emphasizes that she occasionally bullies her

classmate. One incident showed how she physically hurt her classmate

when she refused to picked up the mirror.

Co-researcher 4.

Co-researcher 4 bullies his classmates by asking for money and

commands them to buy food in their school canteen. His reason for this is

if he did not get the money from his classmates, they will only use it for

gambling. He seems to be the power or the leader within his group.

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Incident as a Victim

Co-researcher 1.

He was once a victim of bullying, physically and verbally, during

his elementary days. It created fear out of him which leads him into

thinking to stop in his studies. Fighting back from his perpetrators

effectively solved his problem which led him to become bully.

Co-researcher 2.

A bullying incident happened to co-researcher with his friend

between them and some bystanders within their place.

Co-researcher 3.

No incident of bullying where co-researcher 3 was the victim.

Co-researcher 4.

Because of his dark complexion, co-researcher 4 was once a victim

of both verbal and physical bullying when he was in elementary. He soon

learned to fight back to stop his classmates from bullying him and soon

became perpetrator himself.

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Moral Views Regarding Bullying

Co-researcher 1.

He is aware that his actions were wrong however, due to peer

pressure he cannot stop himself from being a bully. Sometimes his

conscience summons him to stop but he admitted that sometimes he was

going beyond the line.

Co-researcher 2.

He knows that his actions were wrong but reasoned out that it has

been a norm within his peers.

Co-researcher 3.

Her burst of emotions leads her to bully her classmates. She knows

that she bullies her classmates, that it is wrong and she is aware that her

actions hurt their feelings.

Co-researcher 4.

He supposed that what he is doing is right because it prevents his

classmates to engage in gambling.

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Conclusions

This phenomenological research studied the lived experiences of

four identified bullies and its moral implications. For the purpose of this

study, the following conclusion has been established:

1. According to Olweus, bullying is an aggressive behavior which

involves a real or perceived power imbalance that is repeated, or has a

high risk to be repeated over time. Bullying may be identified as

verbal, physical, social and electronic. This study on the lived

experiences of bullies revealed two types of bullying: verbal and

physical.

2. Co-researchers were experiencing lack of supervision from their

parents due to their work and business endeavors. They were

identified bullies and shared incidents of verbal and physical bullying.

All co-researchers, except co-researcher 3, experienced being a victim

of bullying during their previous years. This led them to fight back in

order to avoid being bullied at all. Except co-researcher 4, the three co-

researchers admitted the wrongdoings of their actions and are aware

of how it affects their victims. Peer pressure has been a huge factor

why perpetrators continuously do the bullying.

3. The co-researchers, except co-researcher 4, admitted that they were

aware of the wrongness of their actions but still they execute bullying

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towards their classmates because of the high influence of peer pressure

and a weak self-control. There is an ineffective implementation of anti-

bullying policies of school according to the co-researchers’ statements

wherein they were only being scolded and given warnings.

Recommendations

Based on the results of the study, the following recommendations

are suggested:

 Community must condemn all forms of bullying and not the

bully himself. Bullying the bully himself do not end the problem

thus creating a vicious cycle of it which only worsens the

situation. By treating the victim and also the bully, by imparting

to them and to every one of us the importance of morality, and

by putting it to practice we could build a better community.

 Educational institutions should strictly impose the anti-bullying

policy with adherence to the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013. They

should develop educational system wherein morality is being

prioritized. They must focus on the character-building of every

student much more on how they focus on their academic

excellence. This would bring the community good citizens

responsible of themselves and the welfare of others.

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 For future educators and catalysts for change, educators must

be a guidance to the children. Perpetrators should be guided

properly in order to keep their foot on the right path. As the

immediate authority and guardian in school, they should be

aware on the conflicts arising within their classrooms. It is a

great challenge to provide students the knowledge and imbue

morality standards all at the same time but it is not impossible.

 A family, being the basic unit of life should build a good moral

foundation for the children to value human dignity and develop

harmonious relationship towards each other.

 Future researchers may discover valuable and untapped

information about bullying, its types and its moral implications

through different research design and analysis procedure that

would be a great tool in bullying and morality research.

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