Anti-Bullying bill signed into law

The House of Representatives signed into law a bill that seeks to require education institutions to create an anti-bullying policy or also known as House Bill 5496, co-authored by Representative Christopher Co and called the “Anti-Bullying Act of 2012.”

The new law requires a handbook on bullying prevention and measures to be distributed to students, teachers, parents and guardians. It would also require all new schools to include policies prior to operation.

The “Anti-Bullying Act of 2012” includes cyber-bullying or any bullying done through the use of technology or any electronic means. This is in particular bullying in social networking sites Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and the like.

Bullying shall be prohibited on school grounds, and during school-related activities, the measure stated.

The Department of Education shall prescribe the appropriate administrative sanctions on school administrations who shall fail to comply with the requirements provided in the proposed law.

Erring private schools shall likewise suffer the penalty of suspension of their permits to operate.

Bullying can be summed up as causing physical and emotional abuse against another person. Most incidents of bullying in the Philippines go unreported primarily because of the shame that victims go through.

References: loqal.ph, sunstar.com.ph