ANTI-BULLYING ACT

1. Rationale:
Our Lady of Lourdes Academy of Claveria is an institution that provides holistic learning
and training for students help each individual student develop his/her innate capabilities and
talents. The school is a venue where students develop their social skills and know how to deal
with others in acceptable and rightful manner. Because of this, OLLAC recognizes that the
welfare of the students is its top priority.
However, there are instances that students encounter problem when they relate with
other students. It is a reality in present time that students also experience bullying is
being inflicted by other students.
Being an institution that is aware of the repercussions or effects of bullying towards the
students, it is the policy of the school to prohibit bullying with the objective of
eliminating all instances of bullying.

2. Definitions:
“Bullying” shall refer 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 she has the effect 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
students; infringing on the rights of the other student at school; or materially and substantially
disrupting the education process or the orderly operation of the school. (Based from Anti-Bullying
Act of 2012)

3. Types:
A. Any unwanted physical contact between the bully and the victim like punching,
pushing, shoving, kicking, slapping, tickling, headlocks, inflicting school pranks,
teasing, fighting and the use of available objects as weapons;
B. Any act that causes damage to a victim’s psyche and/or emotional well-being;
C. 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;
D. Cyber-bullying or any bullying done through the use of technology or any 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;
E. Threats to inflict a wrong upon the person, honor or property of the person or on his
or her family;
F. Stalking or constantly following or pursuing a person in his or her daily activities, with
unwanted and obsessive attention;
G. Taking property;
H. Public humiliation, or public 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;
I. Deliberate destruction or defacement of or damage to the child’s property;
J. Physical violence committed upon a student, pinching, spanking, or other similar acts;
K. Demanding or requiring sexual or monetary favor or extracting money or property,
from a pupil or students; and
L. Restraining the liberty and freedom of a pupil or student. (Based from Anti-Bullying
Act of 2012)

4. Prohibited Acts
A. Bullying on school grounds; property immediately adjacent to school grounds; at
school-sponsored or school-related activities, functions or programs weather on or off
 school grounds; at school bus stops; on school buses or other vehicle owned, leased
or used by the school; or through the use of technology or an electronic device owned,
leased or used by an school.
B. Bullying at the location, activity, function or program that is not school related and
through the use of technology or an electronic device that is not owned, leased or
used by the school if the acts in question create a hostile environment at school for
the victim, infringe on the rights of the victim at school, or materially and
substantially disrupt the education process or the orderly operation of a school.
C. Retaliation against a person who reports bullying, who provides information during
an investigation of bullying, or who is witness to or has reliable information about
bullying.
D. Making a false accusation of bullying.

5. Mechanisms to Address Bullying

The Prefect of Student shall be responsible for the implementation and oversight of
policies intended to address bullying.
Any member of the school administration, student, parent or volunteer shall
immediately report any instance of bullying or act of retaliation witnessed, or that has come
to one’s attention, to the school principal or school officer or person so designated by the
principal to handle such issues, or both. Upon receipt of such a report, the Office of the
prefect of Students shall promptly investigate. If it is determined that bullying or
retaliation has occurred after due investigation, the Office of the Prefect of Students shall:
1. Notify the law enforcement agency of Office of the Prefect of Students believes that
criminal charges under the Revised Penal Code may be pursued against a
perpetrator.
2. Take appropriate disciplinary administrative action.
3. Notify the parents or guardians of the perpetrator.
4. Notify the parents or guardians of the victim regarding the action taken to prevent
any further acts of bullying or retaliation.

If the 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.
(Based from Sec.4 of Anti-Bullying Act of 2012).

6. Procedures in Handling Bullying Incidence

The School handles bullying incidence with outmost concern to the victim and to the
student who committed bullying. In observance of the procedural due process, the Principal
convenes a Disciplinary Board to investigate and deliberate on the case.
A complaint for bullying or peer abuse shall be acted upon by the Office of the Prefect
of Students in accordance with the following procedure:
A. Upon the filing of a complaint or upon notice of any bullying or peer abuse incident,
the parents or guardian of the victim and the offending child shall be called and
informed in a meeting called for that purpose. Both the victim and the offending
child shall be referred to the Guidance Counselor for counseling and other
interventions.
B. Bullying is committed for a second or subsequent time, after the offending child has
received counseling or other interventions, the penalty of suspension for not mare
than one (1) week may be imposed by the Office of the Prefect of Students, if such is
warranted. During the period of suspension, the offending child and the parents or
guardians may be required to attend further seminars and counseling. The Office of
the Prefect of Students shall likewise ensure that the appropriate interventions,
counseling referrals and other services, are provided for the victim or victims of
bullying.
 In cases where the imposable penalty on the offending child is suspension, exclusion
or expulsion, the following requirements of due process shall be complied with:
1. The parents whose child committed the policy against bullying will be called for
a conference by the Office of the Prefect of Students.
2. The parent of the student must be informed in writing of the nature and cause of
any accusation against the student.
3. The student through his/her parents must be given the sufficient time to answer
the charge against him/her with assistance of a counsel, if needed.
4. The student through his/her parents must be informed of the evidence against
him/her.
5. The student, his/her parents, must be given sufficient time to adduce the
evidence in his/her behalf.
6. The evidence must be considered by the Office of the Prefect of Students or the
Disciplinary Board to hear and decide the cause.
7. The recommendation of the Office of the Prefect of Students or the Disciplinary
Board shall be submitted to the Principal and the Principal acts on the same.
8. The parents may make an appeal to the Principal within 72 hours after
Receipt of the notice of decision on the charge.

7. Disciplinary Action
Under the provision stated in the Student handbook, bullying is considered a serious
offense and shall be dealt with accordingly. Sanctions shall be imposed, provided that parents
are formed in writing by the Office of the Prefect of Students of the misconduct on the part
of the student for which the disciplinary action is necessary.
A false accusation about bullying is also a considered major offense, and if proven with
a preponderance of evidence, may merit the same sanction as bullying.

8. Referral and Counseling

Aside from imposing a disciplinary measure commensurate to the action of the
student, necessary counseling shall be accorded to the student/s since the school’s purpose is
not to convict the students but to assist him/her to realize his/her misbehavior. The referral
shall be coming from the Prefect of the Students before and after the students is subjected to
disciplinary action. The parent can also be invited to take part in counseling process of session
if necessary, depending on the determination or discretion of the Guidance counselor.
After the series of sessions, follow-ups shall still be done by the Guidance Office to
monitor the improvement happens towards the behavior of the child. Consistent
communication and coordination by the Guidance Counselor with the Moderator and parent
shall also be made to get feedback based on the result of observation about the child’s behavior.
The victim shall also be referred to counseling so that the sense of safety may be
restored and his/her need for protection be assessed.

B.STUDENT GUIDE ON CYBERBULLYING

1. What is CYBERBULLYING?
Cyber bullying is the use of the internet or cell phones or other digital devices to send hurtful
messages or post information to damage person’s reputation.

Examples of Cyber bullying

a.) Flaming – Online flights using electronic messages with angry and vulgar language.
b.) Harassment – Repeatedly sending nasty, mean and insulting messages
c.) Denigration – Sending or posting gossip or rumors about a person to damage his/her
reputation or friendship.
d.) Impersonation – Pretending to be someone else and sending or posting materials to get
that person in trouble or danger.
e.) Outing – Sharing someone’s secrets or embarrassing information or images online.
 f.) Trickery – Tricking someone into revealing secrets or embarrassing information, then
sharing it online.
g.) Cyber stalking – Repeated, intense harassment and denigration that includes threats or
creates significant fear.

2. Ways to stop Cyber bullying

Several things that you can do to avoid cyber bullying:
a) Protect yourself. Never provide any information or images in electronic form that could be
used against you.
b) Examine how you are communicating. If you find that people are frequently attacking you,
look closely at how are you communicating with them?
c) Tell the cyber bully to stop.
d) Ignore the cyber bully.
e) Have your parents contact the cyber bully’s parents
f) File a complaint with the website or service.
g) Report to School Authority.

A very important Rule:

If you are cyber bullied, NEVER RETALIATE!

(FROM Cyber bullying and Cyber threats: Responding to the challenge of online Social Aggression,
Threats and Distress by N.F. Willard; Cyberbullying.org.)

C. TEN COMMANDMENTS OF COMPUTER ETHICS

1. Thou shall not use a computer to harm other people.
2. Thou shall not interfere with other people’s computer work.
3. Thou shall not snoop around in other people’s files.
4. Thou shall not use a computer to steal.
5. Thou shall not use a computer to bear false witness.
6. Thou shall not use or copy software for which you have not paid.
7. Thou shall not use other people’s computer resources without authorization.
8. Thou shall not appropriate other people’s intellectual output.
9. Thou shall think about the social consequences of the program you write.
10. Thou shall use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect.

(The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics were presented in Dr. Ramon C. Barquin’s
paper, “In Pursuit of a Ten Commandments for Computer Ethics.”
http\\computerethicsinstitute.org.)