SCHOOL-BASED CHILD PROTECTION AND ANTI-BULLYING POLICY

Rationale

The welfare of our children in school is of paramount importance. No child can

perform better if he or she is learning in a stressful environment. No amount of teaching
strategies and motivations can effectively effect learning if a child is physically,
emotionally, and socially disturbed.

In compliance to the DepEd’s mission, this child protection and anti-bullying policy
document aims to protect and promote the right of every child to learn in a child-friendly,
gender-sensitive, safe and motivating environment. Thus, the school leadership,
management staff, teachers, parents, community, and even students share a common
responsibility to keep our children safe. This is embodied in R.A. No. 7610 and DepEd
Order No. 40, s. 2012 imposing a zero-tolerance policy for any act of child abuse,
exploitation, violence, discrimination, bullying, and other forms of abuse in schools.

Objectives:

1. To safeguard the welfare and safety of all pupils and students;

2. To involve all stakeholders in ensuring the school as a safe-learning
environment;
3. To uphold the rights and responsibilities of children;
4. To let children be aware of and avoid any act of bullying;
5. To provide a mechanism in mediating bullying cases and incidents; and
6. To establish a child protection community that ensures the protection and
promotion of children’s rights.

The Child Protection and Anti-bullying Committee

Chairperson : Reynaldo Q. Casiano Jr. (School Principal)

Vice Chairperson : Irene B. Gonzaga (Guidance Coordinator)
Members : Rona Mae M. Tinday (Guidance Coordinator)
: Teresa Caber (Prefect of Discipline)
: Ramelie G. Velasco (Assistant School Principal)
: Michelle E. Blasabas (Teacher)
 The Child Protection and Anti-Bullying Committee has the following functions:

1. Draft a school child protection policy with a code of conduct and a plan to
ensure child protection and safety, which shall be reviewed every three (3)
years.

2. Initiate information dissemination programs and organize activities for the

protection of children from abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination and
bullying or peer abuse;

3. Develop and implement a school-based referral and monitoring system.

4. Establish a system for identifying students who may be suffering from

significant harm based on any physical, emotional or behavioral signs;

5. Identify, refer and, if appropriate, report to the appropriate office’s cases

involving child abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination and bullying;

6. Give assistance to parents or guardians, whenever necessary in securing

expert guidance counselling from the appropriate offices or institutions;

7. Coordinate closely with the Women and Child Protection Desks of the Philippine
National Police (PNP), the Local Social Welfare and Development Office
(LSWDO), other government agencies, and non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), as may be appropriate;

8. Monitor the implementation of positive measures and effective procedures in

providing the necessary support for the child and for those who care for the
child; and

9. Ensure that the children's right to be heard are respected and upheld in all
matters and procedures affecting their welfare.
.

PROHIBITED ACTS

Following are the prohibited acts and their descriptions:

1. “Child Abuse” - refers to the maltreatment of a child, whether habitual or

not, which includes any act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or
demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of a child as a human being;
failure to immediately give medical treatment to an injured child resulting
in serious impairment of his or her growth and development or in the
child’s permanent incapacity or death.

2. “Child Exploitation” - refers to the use of pupils for someone else’s

advantage which include sending pupils for an errand during class hour
which expose pupils to harm on his or her way , exposure to domestic
violence by keeping pupils outside for longer period of time which deprive
him or her of learning development.
 3. “Violence against children committed in schools” - refers to a single act or
a series of acts committed by school administrators, academic and non-
academic personnel against a child which result in or is likely to result in
physical, sexual, psychological harm or suffering, or other abuses including
threats of such acts, battery, assault, coercion, harassment or arbitrary
deprivation of liberty. It includes, but is not limited to physical violence,
sexual violence, psychological violence, and other acts of violence.

4. “Corporal Punishment” - refers to a kind of punishment or penalty imposed

for an alleged or actual offense, which is carried out or inflicted, for the
purpose of discipline, training or control, by a teacher, school
administrator, an adult, or any other child who has been given or has
assumed authority or responsibility for punishment or discipline. It includes
physical, humiliating or degrading punishment, including, but not limited to
the following:

a. Blows such as, but not limited to, beating, kicking, hitting, slapping, or
lashing, or any part of a child’s body, with or without the use of an
instrument such as, but not limited to a cane, broom, stick, whip or
belt;
b. Striking of a child’s face or head, such being declared as a “no contact
zone”;
c. Pulling hair, shaking, twisting joints, cutting or piercing skin, dragging,
pushing or throwing of a child;
d. Forcing a child to perform physically painful or damaging acts such as,
but not limited to, holding a weight or weights for an extended period
and kneeling on stones, salt, pebbles or other objects;
e. Deprivation of a child’s physical needs as a form of punishment;
f. Deliberate exposure to fire, ice, water, smoke, sunlight, rain, pepper,
alcohol, or forcing the child to swallow substances, dangerous
chemicals, and other materials that can cause discomfort or threaten
the child’s health, safety and sense of security such as, but not limited
to bleach or insecticides, excrement or urine;
g. Tying up a child;
h. Confinement, imprisonment or depriving the liberty of a child;
i. Verbal abuse or assaults, including intimidation or threat of bodily
harm, swearing or cursing, ridiculing or denigrating the child;
j. Forcing a child to wear a sign, to undress or disrobe, or to put on
anything that will make a child look or feel foolish, which belittles or
humiliates the child in front of others;
k. Permanent confiscation of personal property of pupils, students or
learners, except when such pieces of property pose a danger to the
child or to others; and
l. Other analogous acts.

5. “Bullying or Peer Abuse” – refers to wilful aggressive behavior that is

directed towards a particular victim who may be out-numbered, younger,
weak, with disability, less confident, or otherwise vulnerable, more
particularly bullying and cyber-bullying.

a. Bullying – is committed when a student commits an act or a

series of acts directed towards another student, or a series of single acts directed
 towards several students in a school setting or a place of learning, which results
in physical and mental abuse, harassment, intimidation, or humiliation. Such acts
may consist of one or more of the following:

(1) Threats to inflict a wrong upon a student, honor or property of the

student or on his or her family;
(2) Stalking or constantly following or pursuing a student in his or her
daily activities with unwanted and obsessive attention;
(3) Taking of property;
(4) Public humiliation, or public and malicious imputation of a crime or
of a vice or defect, whether real or imaginary, or any act, omission,
condition, status, or circumstance tending to cause dishonor,
discredit, or expose a person to contempt.
(5) Deliberate destruction or defacement of, or damage to the child’s
property;
(6) Physical violence committed upon a student, which may or may not
result to harm or injury, with or without the aid of a weapon. Such
violence may be in form of mauling, hitting, punching, kicking,
throwing things at the student, pinching, spanking, or other similar
acts;
(7) Demanding or requiring sexual or monetary favors, or exacting
money or property, from a pupil or student; and
(8) Restraining liberty and freedom from a student.

b. Cyber-bullying – is any conduct defined in the preceding

paragraph, as resulting in harassment, intimidation, or humiliation, through
electronic means or other technology, such as, but not limited to texting, email,
instant messaging, chatting, internet, social networking websites or other
platforms or formats.

6. Other Acts of Violence or Abuse” – refers to other acts of violence or abuse

committed by a student to another student of the school.

PROTECTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES TO ADDRESS BULLYING AND OTHER

ACTS OF ABUSE

In cases of offenses on bullying committed by students, the following process

shall be observed:

1. For minor cases, the bully and victims shall immediately be pacified by
concerned teacher/s and a verbal reprimand and consolation, respectively
shall be done and a promise by the bully to refrain from committing such acts
again.
2. For second offenses of the bully to the same victim/s or to another student/s,
the same shall be referred to the Guidance Counsellor for counselling.
3. For third offenses, the bullying incident shall be reported to the school
principal who in turn shall inform the parents of the student/s concerned and a
meeting shall be held for that purpose.
4. The student (bully) shall be referred to the CPC for counselling and other
interventions.
 5. For fourth offenses, the school principal shall, if warranted, impose a three-day
to five-day suspension to offending students in which parents of the concerned
student/s shall be informed of the sanctions.
6. For subsequent offenses, the same shall be referred to the Schools Division
Superintendent for appropriate action.
7. For major cases that require immediate attention, the case shall be referred to
DSWD and PNP for appropriate actions.
8. For offenses committed by teachers and staff, the incident shall be brought to
the School Principal for investigation and appropriate action.
9. The alleged teacher/employee accused of child abuse or violation of the Code
of Discipline is informed in writing and is given 5 days to respond to the
allegation.
10. Validation is further done by seeking both verbal and written narratives from
witnesses, if possible.
11. If not settled, the same will be elevated to the higher office for appropriate
action.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILTIES

The School Head’s Responsibilities

1. Ensure that all pupils, students or learners, school personnel, parents, guardians
or custodians, and visitors and guests are made aware of child protection policy.
2. Conduct the capacity building activities for the members of the Child Protection
Committee and Guidance Counselors/Teachers;
3. Conduct disciplinary proceedings in cases of offenses committed by pupils,
students or learners;
4. Ensure that the participatory and other rights of children are respected and
upheld in all matters and procedures affecting their welfare;
5. Maintain a record of all proceedings related to bullying or peer abuse and submit
after each school year to the Division Office the report and a copy of the intake
form.
6. Conduct the appropriate training and capability-building activities on child
protection measures and protocols;
7. Ensure that the school adopts a student Code of Conduct to be followed by every
pupil, student or learner while on school grounds, or when traveling to and from,
or during a school-sponsored activity, and during lunch period, whether on or off
campus;
8. Adopt such conflict resolution mechanisms that respect the rights of indigenous
peoples, provided that they conform to the DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2012 and they
uphold the rights of the child;
9. Coordinate with the appropriate offices and other agency or instrumentality for
appropriate assistance and intervention, as may be required in the performance
of its functions;
10. Coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development or, the
appropriate government agencies or non-governmental organizations on a Child
Protection Hotline for reporting abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination,
bullying and other similar acts and for counseling.

The Duties and Responsibilities of School Personnel

 1. Exercise special parental authority and responsibility over the child while under
the supervision, instruction and custody. Authority and responsibility shall apply to
all authorized activities whether inside or outside the premises of the school,
entity or institution.
2. Keep them in their company and support, educate and instruct them by right
precept and good example;
3. Give them love and affection, advice and counsel, companionship and
understanding;
4. Enhance, protect, preserve and maintain their physical and mental health at all
times;
5. Furnish them with good and wholesome educational materials, supervise their
activities, recreation and association with others, protect them from bad company
and prevent them from acquiring bad habits detrimental to their health, studies
and morals;
6. Represent them in all matters affecting their interest;
7. Inculcate the value of respect and obedience;
8. Practice positive and non-violent discipline, as may be required under the
circumstances; provided, that in no case shall corporal punishment be inflicted
upon them;
9. Perform such other duties as are imposed by law upon them, as substitute parents
or guardians; and
10. School personnel shall also strictly comply with the school’s child protection
policy.

The Pupils / Students’ Duties and Responsibilities

1. Obey and comply all school rules and regulations at all times as long as they are
in harmony with their best interests. They shall refrain from doing the following:
a. Engaging in discrimination, or leading a group of pupils or students to
discriminate another, with reference to one’s physical appearance,
weaknesses and status of any sort;
b. Doing any act that is inappropriate or sexually provocative;
c. Participating in behavior of other students that is illegal, unsafe or abusive;
d. Marking or damaging school property, including books, in any way;
e. Engaging in fights or any aggressive behavior;
f. Introducing into the school premises or otherwise possessing prohibited
articles, such as deadly weapons, drugs, alcohol, toxic and noxious
substances, cigarettes and pornographic materials and
g. Performing other similar acts that cause damage or injury to another.

2. Show respect to their teachers, the staff, the school principal, their parents, and
to the elderly as a whole.
3. Respect the rights of their classmates and schoolmates at all times regardless of
sex, age, beliefs, and socio-economic status.
4. Refrain from making trouble inside and outside the school premises.
5. Respect the rights and property of others.
6. Report to teachers any form of bullying committed by students whether towards
himself/herself or that of their fellow students.
7. Observe the Code of Conduct for students.

The Parents and Visitors’ Responsibilities

 1. Support their children in all school dealings.
2. Help the school personnel specifically their children’s teachers in imposing
discipline.
3. Provide guidance to their children as to the proper dealing with their peers,
teachers and elderly.
4. Take full responsibility of their children’s action.
5. Ensure that their children do not possess deadly weapons in coming to school.
6. In case that there is a complaint regarding abuse and bullying experienced by
their child/children, file complaints if needed to the proper authority- the School
Child Protection Committee.
7. Actively participate in upholding the protection of every child.
8. Attend orientations/seminars relative to child protection.
9. Advocate child protection policies, guidelines, instructions, programs and
activities.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

In order to help prevent the frequency of bullying and child abuse incidents, the
following preventive measures shall be established in the school:

1. Conduct of orientation and reorientation of teachers on DepEd Child-Protection

Policies, Code of Conduct for public servants, and other pertinent laws,
classroom management and discipline strategies;
2. Conduct advocacy campaigns for teachers, students, and parents on child
protection policies, sanctions, and preventive mechanisms.
3. Produce and distribute flyers, leaflets, and other information education
communication materials that promote anti-bullying guidelines and practices.
4. Develop a school counselling program for the prevention and mitigation of
bullying cases in school.
5. Set –up a hotline that receives and addresses reports of cases of child abuses.
6. Conduct parenting orientation and seminars on effective parenting.
Prepared by:

The CHILD PROTECTION POLICY COMMITTEE

NAME DESIGNATION SIGNATURE

Reynaldo Q. Casiano Jr. Chairperson ___________________

Irene B. Gonzaga Vice - Chair ___________________

Rona Mae M. Tinday Member ___________________

Teresa Caber Member ___________________

Michelle E. Blasabas Member ___________________