Republic Act No. 10627, otherwise known as the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 is " An act requiring all elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies to prevent and address the acts of bullying in their institutions." It was signed by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III on September 12, 2013 and shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.
What is anti-bullying law?
Anti-bullying law or Republic Act 10627 is a law that requires elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies and eliminates harassment and violence done by student or group of students to fellow students. It requires elementary and secondary schools to address the act of bullying and implement action to make their institution a student-safe and hostile-free environment.
Bullying as defined by RA No. 10627 refers to:
Any severe or repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another student that has the effect of actually causing or placing the latter in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to his property; creating a hostile environment at school for the other student; infringing on the rights of the other student at school.
It refers to any materially and substantially disrupting the education process or the orderly operation of a school; such as, but not limited to, the following:
· Physical bullying - punching, pushing, shoving, kicking, slapping, tickling, headlocks, inflicting school pranks, teasing, fighting and the use of available objects as weapons.
· Emotional bullying - Any act that causes damage to a victim’s psyche and/or emotional well-being;
· Verbal bullying - any slanderous statement or accusation that causes the victim undue emotional distress like directing foul language or profanity at the target, name-calling, tormenting and commenting negatively on victim’s looks, clothes and body;
· Cyberbullying - any bullying done through the use of technology or any electronic means.
What can the elementary and secondary schools do to prevent future bullying acts?
By the virtue of RA 10627, all elementary and secondary schools are hereby directed to adopt policies to address the existence of bullying in their respective institutions.
These provisions include:
(a) Prohibition of the following acts:
a. Bullying on school grounds;
b. Bullying at outside the school premises but the act or acts in question create a hostile environment at school for the victim.
c. Retaliation against a person who reports bullying;
(b) Appropriate disciplinary administrative actions; The perpetrator shall undergo rehabilitation program and the parents of the perpetrator shall also undergo rehabilitation program.
(c) Clear procedures and strategies:
a. Reporting acts of bullying;
b. Response and investigation
c. Restoring a sense of safety for a victim and assessing the student’s need for protection;
d. Protection from bullying
e. Counselling for the perpetrator and the victim and their respective immediate family members.
(d) Anonymous report.
(e) Student who makes a false accusation shall subject to disciplinary administrative action;
(f) Education of students on the dynamics of bullying, the anti-bullying policies of the school;
(g) Education of parents and guardians about the dynamics of bullying, anti-bullying policies and support of said policies.
(h) Maintain a public record of relevant information and statistics on acts of bullying. The names involved in acts of bullying or retaliation shall be strictly confidential.
All elementary and secondary schools shall provide to the students and the parent the copies of anti-bullying policies adopted by the school. The DepEd shall provide to the teachers, school employees and administrators the training programs, seminars, and activities to enhance their knowledge in preventing bullying in the school.
What are the mechanisms to prevent bullying?
The responsibilities fall upon school principal or any person with a comparable role in the implementation and oversight of policies.
Who can report the acts of bullying?
Student, the victim, school employee, volunteers, parents.
If it is determined that bullying or retaliation has occurred, the school principal or the designated school officer or person shall:
a. Notify the law enforcement agency if the school principal or designee believes that criminal charges under the Revised Penal Code may be pursued against the perpetrator;
b. Appropriate disciplinary administrative action;
c. Notification of the parents or guardians of the perpetrator; and
d. Notification of the parents or guardians of the victim.
If an incident of bullying or retaliation involves students from more than one school, the school first informed of the bullying or retaliation shall promptly notify the appropriate administrator of the other school so that both may take appropriate action.
Reporting Requirement.
All schools shall inform their respective schools division superintendents in writing about the anti-bullying policies formulated within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act. This shall be an administrative requirement prior to the operation of new schools. Beginning with the school year after the effectivity of this Act, and every first week of the start of the school year thereafter, schools shall submit a report to their respective schools division superintendents all relevant information and statistics on acts of bullying or retaliation.
Sanction for Noncompliance.
The DepEd Secretary shall prescribe appropriate sanction on school administrators who shall fail to comply with the requirements. Private schools shall also be faced penalty of suspension of their permits to operate.
Read the full text of the law here.
