The Philippines is currently implementing online classes via digital platforms amidst the ongoing pandemic. Thus, the topic of the webinar presented by Inquirer.net, AKAP Guro CONNECTed and Pharex Corp. on October 10 about cyberbullying, which happened to be the World Mental Health Day, is quite relevant since students spend even more time now online. Cyberbullying or “any bullying done through the use of technology or any electronic means”, as defined under Republic Act No. 10627 or the “Anti-Bullying Act of 2013”.
A comprehensive survey was done by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) and Unicef, regarding National Baseline Study on Violence against Children (NBS-VAC) cited that 43.8 percent or two out of five Filipino children experience violence online, sexual violence or cyberbullying.
Protection of children from such threats is in fact stipulated in the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child under the Right to Development, particularly including the right to protection from violence or safe environment (including online).
“Along with those rights, come opportunities and responsibilities on how to properly use online platforms and technology during the pandemic. It also provided ways and means to seek help to address technology-related or online violence,” says Aiza Cabrera, Planning Officer of CWC.
She added that cyberbullying surveys are backed by actual police reports. According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), there were over 3,900 cases of violence against children from March to June in the middle of the ongoing community quarantine or lockdown. Moreover, data from the Department of Justice (DoJ) Cybercrime Office showed that there is a 264 percent increase in reports related to online sexual exploitation.
It is thus crucial for children, their parents, or guardians as well as their teachers to be educated about preventive measures to keep them safe on digital platforms. “Online safety is not only about technology. It is empowering children with protective behavior,” says John Michael Matibag, Advocacy and Training Officer of children advocacy group Stairway Foundation.
According to a survey conducted by Stairway Foundation in selected parts of the country, 60 to 80 percent of Filipino youth between the age of 12 and 16 have been bullied in social media. To address this, Stairway Foundation has come up with cyberlearning resources and cyber safe lesson manuals in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) to address the prevalence of cyberbullying. They also provide training of trainors all over the country.
CWC’s Cabrera cited the various reasons why children are bullied online. These include physical appearance, family background, social status, opinions, or beliefs. Some ways to prevent cyberbullying incidents among children, according to her, is for parents/guardians to set a time limit and rules in online activities, monitor with whom their children are interacting online, and to build a strong parent-child relationship to encourage open communication or discussion. For teachers, she advised them not to take for granted uncomfortable or awkward experiences confided by students as it could be a serious matter already.
The various laws that can protect children and the youth against cyberbullying were also discussed in the AKAP Guro-Pharex webinar by Kristela Castronuevo, a legislative officer in the Senate of the Philippines. These include R.A. 10627 or the “Anti-Bullying Act”, R.A. 70610 or the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act”, R.A. 10175 or the “Cybercrime Prevention Act”, among others.
It was pointed out that it is not only the children or the students who are bullied and must be protected. Teachers also experience online violence or bullying. Castronuevo cited that there are legal remedies available including the filing of libel or slander suit under the Revised Penal Code and the Labor Code.
“Bullying and cyberbullying have legal implications and there are legal remedies or protection available as well. Schools are required under the law to come up with anti-cyberbullying policies. It has also been institutionalized in various under the law and department orders that there is zero-tolerance on violence against children,” says Castronuevo.
The implications for health and clinical practice of cyberbullying in children and youth were discussed by Dr. Ma. Lourdes Rosanna de Guzman since such acts affect people’s mental health or well-being. Cyberbullying causes anxiety, depression, stress-related disorders, higher risk for suicidal thoughts, suicidal attempts, or even suicide itself. It can also lead to dropping out of school or criminal offense in extreme cases. Avoiding school and substance abuse are just some of the signs of cyberbullying.
According to Dr. De Guzman, medical or health practitioners play a big role too, which can be summarized into three aspects—screening, validation, and advocacy. They have different approaches for various age brackets. “We have to be very careful on how we handle cases of cyberbullying, its effects are different from traditional bullying. Just one post can go viral and it can go on beyond school hours and it even crosses geographical locations. It can become uncontrollable,” she cited.
Given the prevalence of cyberbullying and the serious threats and repercussions, it poses to students and society at large, the resource persons of the webinar urge parents, guardians, teachers, and community leaders or authorities to be vigilant. They also encourage people to seek help from authorities and access available online resources such as hotlines and dedicated websites or social media pages of government departments, the private sector, and NGOs. It was pointed out that the law requires mandatory reporting of cases involving children.
It is important for children to identify other support systems, not limited to their parents or relatives. In fact, many open up about issues to people outside their homes. Thus, teachers and other trusted adults in the school or their community are important as well.
AKAP Guro CONNECTed webinar series in Inquirer.net is a program of Unilab, Inc. through its External Affairs Division, in collaboration with public and private organizations. The next webinar is set on October 17, from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm. The featured topic is financial literacy.
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