ALIMODIAN NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

GRADE 11 LEARNERS PERCEPTION OF VERBAL BULLYING EXPERIENCES IN

A Research Paper Presented to the

Faculty of Senior High School

Alimodian National Comprehensive High School

Alimodian, Iloilo

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements in the Subject Research

(Science and Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)

by:

Eliseo Alminaza Jr.

Prizyll Rose Alminaza

Xavier John Andea

Rebecca Jane Amatorio

Jade Vincent Aligaga

Chapter 1

Introduction

Background of the Study

School is said a place where children learns and mold themselves into someone or a person

they want to be. But that is not the only luxury schools can give, they can also be a battlefield, a

place of survival some may seem, where the famous and the beautiful are honor and respect,

while the poor little once are bullied (Williams, 2008). Bullying is considered a common form of

violence in schools. Various studies indicated that bullying makes schools to be unsafe places for

schools’ students and it contributes in the belief that some schools are become not safe anymore

(Maliki et al., 2009).

Verbal Bullying is a major problem in a society or in this world and what’s alarming is that, the

breeding ground of this plague is our school. Our called second home is the ground of bullies. But

before we trigger into the problem let us first define what is verbal bullying. According to the

Merriam-Webster (1828), verbal abuse is “harsh and insulting language directed at a person”.

Verbal bullying can alter from someone calls a name to someone and to spread a rumor about

someone. Which, if it gets bad enough, it can cause depression to someone and can lead to

suicide. Verbal bullying do not contain physical contact, but it can affect a person mentally. It can

be consider as one of the most dangerous type of bullying because of its effects (Williams, 2008).

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Alimodian, Iloilo

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study was to examine learners’ perceptions of verbal bullying experience

being recall from their K-10 schooling. The research questions, that guides this study are:

1. How do the victims define verbal bullying?

2. What are the grade 11 learners` perceptions regarding on verbal bullying?

Definition of Terms

For further understanding of the term used in the study, their conceptual and operational

definition are provided.

Experience - the process of doing and seeing things happen to you (Merriam Webster

Dictionary, 1828).

In this study, experience refers to the things that happen to you in the past.

Junior High School - a school usually including grade 7 to grade 9 - called also middle school

(Merriam Webster Dictionary, 1828).

In this study, Junior High School refers to students’ schooling, from grade 7 to grade 9.

Perception - The way you think about or understand someone or something (Merriam Webster

Dictionary, 1828).

As use in this study, perception refers to the ability of the students to think of their

experiences regarding on verbal bullying.

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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Alimodian, Iloilo

Learners - to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or

experience(Merriam Webster Dictionary, 1828).

As use in this study, learners are the one who go to school.

Verbal bullying - Verbal Bullying occurs when a student is teased frequently in a way student

does not like (Omoteso, 2010).

As use in this study, verbal bullying refers to someone, who use harsh words to insult or to

harm other people.

Significance of the Study

The beneficiaries of this study will be the following:

Learners. This study will encourage them to change their attitude towards other people. It

will serve as a medicine to cure the minds of every individual to become open minded about the

consequences of their action.

Parents. They will be aware about the kind of attitude their child is possessing. It will give

them a hint on how they would help and encourage their child to avoid doing such act.

Educators. The development of an understanding of learners` perceptions of verbal

bullying may provide insights that will support school-base efforts to reduce verbal bullying.

These perceptions and the insights gain from them could aid in the creation of learning

environments that envelop the learner in a sense of safety and comfort and provide for them an

alternative to the norm-less society that has been created and to which some learners fall as

victim. Through development of an understanding of learners’ perceptions and their definitions of

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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Alimodian, Iloilo

verbal bullying, teachers and administrators could become more aware of the complex dynamics

involve in the phenomenon of verbal bullying. This understanding of learners’ perceptions and

definitions will assist teachers and administrators in dealing with verbal bullying that takes place

in school.

School. The goal of this research is to inform and contribute to more effective

preparation for addressing the verbal bullying in schools. It is hope that schools with greater

insight into verbal bullying will be able to reduce these incidents and provide safer environments

for their learners. Furthermore, providing learners with a safe place may increase attendance and

improve academic achievement.

Municipal officials. It will help them to construct strategies and methods on how to

lessen the cases of verbal bullying.

Future researchers. This study will be use as a reference of the researchers who would

conduct a research regarding on verbal bullying.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This study is only bound on finding out the important information that may contribute to

more effective preparation for addressing the verbal bullying in schools and perceptions will be

identify using an interview since the participants are students and the study is only focuses on

verbal bullying. Also, another limitation includes the geographical location, which in particular is

the Alimodian National Comprehensive High School campus, the participants are the grade 11

learners that are randomly select and at least two (2) students. In addition, this study will be

conduct for school year 2019-2020.

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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Alimodian, Iloilo

Chapter 2

Review of the Related Literature

A sound research necessitates a review of literature to give more justifications to the

background of the study. This chapter contains the review of literature and theoretical

framework. Review of literature is divided into several topics. These are A.) Perception, B.)

Student Experience, C.) Verbal Bullying, D.) Junior High School, E.) Related Studies.

A. On Perception

Perception is an individual’s view making it a powerful driving force for action. Processing

sensory information and relating to past experiences enables one to create a lens in which to view

the world through a filter of sociocultural influence (Mcdonald S. M., 2011).

The Gestalt psychologists studied extensively the ways in which people organize and select

from the vast array of stimuli that are presented to them, concentrating particularly on visual

stimuli. Perception is influenced by a variety of factors, including the intensity and physical

dimensions of the stimulus; such activities of the sense organs as effects of preceding

stimulation; the subject's past experience; attention factors such as readiness to respond to a

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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
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stimulus; and motivation and emotional state of the subject. Stimulus elements in visual

organization form perceived patterns according to their nearness to each other, their similarity,

the tendency for the subject to perceive complete figures, and the ability of the subject to

distinguish important figures from background. Perceptual constancy is the tendency of a subject

to interpret one object in the same manner, regardless of such variations as distance, angle of

sight, or brightness. Through selective attention, the subject focuses on a limited number of

stimuli, and ignores those that are considered less important. Depth perception, considered to be

innate in most animals, is produced by a variety of visual cues indicating perspective, and by a

slight disparity in the images of an object on the two retinas. An absolute threshold is the minimal

physical intensity of a stimulus that a subject can normally perceive, whereas a difference

threshold is the minimal amount of change in a stimulus that can be consciously detected by the

subject. Recent studies have shown that stimuli are actually perceived in the brain, while sensory

organs merely gather the signals (Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed., 2018). Thus, according to

Mcdonald S. M., (2011) perception is never objective. It is an individual’s or group’s unique way of

viewing a phenomenon that involves the processing of stimuli, and incorporates memories and

experiences in the process of understanding.

B. On Learners Experience

Experiences are important for students to foster the critical thinking, appraisal skills and

understanding (Cardwell, J. M. et al., 2017). The learners experience encompasses many aspects

of academic and intellectual development; social and emotional life; and the growth and

refinement of cultural, political, sporting and artistic interests (“What is the student experience”,

2015). According to H. Shmuel Erlich, (2017) where he takes a renewed look at the constitutive

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aspects of experience, looking at it as process rather than contents. Recently more psychoanalytic

voices are discernible that argue for the complexity and multi‐leveled nature of inner experience.

Yet the predominant and preeminent psychoanalytic voice has traditionally emphasized the

linearity and single‐factored nature of experience and all that is based on it: development, object

relations, psychopathology, and treatment. Also, he offers an understanding of experience as

stemming from the operation of two contiguous, ongoing modalities of processing internal and

external input, and reflecting two polarities of the subject‐object experience: of separateness and

instrumentality, and of oneness and ongoing being. Such a conceptual reframing of experience

harbors multiple implications for understanding subjectivity and inter‐subjectivity, inter‐

relatedness as well as single‐person psychology, and the all‐important role of an experiential

‘goodness‐of‐fit’ in the analytic situation and elsewhere.

C. On Verbal Bullying

Verbal Bullying occurs when a student is teased frequently in a way student does not like

(Omoteso, 2010). According to REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10627 Sec. 2, (2013)

"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 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; or materially and substantially disrupting the education process or the orderly

operation of a school; such as, but not limited to, the following:

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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
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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; and

d. Cyber-bullying or any bullying done through the use of technology or any electronic
means.

According to Daljević, (2014) verbal bullying is the most common type of violence in

schools. By definition, verbal bullying refers to when an individual uses verbal language to

embarrass, mock or insult another person. Unlike physical bullying, where the effects are obvious

(bruises, scratches…). These are one of the more difficult types of bullies to identify since their

attacks tend to only occur when adults are not present. Even though verbal bullying creates no

physical damage, this type of abuse can have lasting psychological impacts on victims (Gonzaga,

2013).Verbal bullying includes verbal abuse, insults, cursing, excitement, threats, false rumors, giving

names and titles for individual, or giving ethnic label (Quiroz et al., 2006). It is equally present among

boys and girls. Still, in many cases, verbal bullying is the province of girls. Girls are more subtle

than boys and use verbal bullying, instead of physical one, to dominate others and show their

superiority and power. However, one should have in mind that words alone do have power and

can harm more than punches. According to Williams (2008) the reasons students bully and are

bullied, such as: weight, size, clothing, being perceived as different, sexual preferences, and

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placement in special education. Bullying behavior in schools can lead to psychosocial problems

(Naidoo, S. et al., 2016). Thus, bullying has been an issue within schools for decades (Bosworth,

Espelage, & Simon, 1999; Greenbaum, Turner, & Stephens, 1988; Lapidot-Lefler & Dolev-Cohen,

2015; Salmon et. al., 2000).

D. Junior High School

According to Uyquiengco (2014) junior high school consist of four years (grades 7 to 10).

While, according Szyliowicz & Thomas (2018) Junior high school, in some school systems in

the United States, the two or three secondary grades (7, 8, 9) of school following elementary

school and preceding high school. Children served by junior high school are approximately 12 to

15 years old. The junior high school may be in a separate building or part of a junior-senior high

school. In some systems, a middle school, or upper-grade centre, serves certain grades (6, 7, 8,

for example) between elementary and high school. Also, junior high schools were introduced in

some provinces as a transitional level between elementary and secondary schooling, while some

provinces simply developed junior and senior stages of a total secondary program. Thus, this

study will use the education system of the K to 12 Junior High School (JHS) which is, consist of

four years (grades 7 to 10) Uyquiengco (2014).

E. Related Study

Most bullying starts out as a small tease for the bully to examine the vulnerability of their

victim. Then they find the obvious or underline difference between them and their victim to

initiate the labeling, this includes anything from race, religion, sexuality, to physical disabilities,

skin colors and etc. 35% of kids were directly involved in bullying incidents, 85% of girls and 76%

of boys reported having experienced sexual harassment, 24% race related bullying (Coloroso,

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2009). According to the study of Williams (2008) clothing as a reason for bullying emerged as a

theme that was echoed by many of those interviewed. Whether it was the brand name of the

clothes, where they were purchased, or the style of the clothes, several participants were bullied

and bullied others because of clothing. Also, “Subsequently, numerous studies on school bullying

were conducted in various countries (i.e., Austria, Canada, China, England, Finland, Italy, Japan ,

South Korea, and the United States) to understand the prevalence of bullying, factors associated

with bullying, negative consequences, and prevention mechanisms” (Moon, Hwang & McCluskey,

2011, P. 851). Participants’ definitions of bullying were from the perspective of those who are

bullied, bully, and who have witnessed bullying. Other students noted in their definitions the role

of groups and the role of power in incidents of bullying (Williams, 2008)

Theoretical Framework of the Study

The theory of anomie as an explanation of delinquency, school violence, and

bullying allows one to look beyond the student and to the system (i.e. society or the

school). As noted above, students may perceive their school as disorganized, which could

suggest that they are more likely to engage in delinquent behavior such as bullying,

when: (a) school rules lack clarity or are erratically enforced, (b) when students

diagnosed with antisocial disorder are placed in schools that are dilapidated and

overcrowded, (c) when students do not receive tests and papers that are graded in a timely

manner, and (d) when course requirements are unclear and teacher expectations are

inconsistent, unclear, or questionable. Disorganization in society could also lead to

delinquent or deviant behavior. Economic activity outside the norm, natural disasters, and

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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
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unstable political systems, to name a few, can create a sense of disorganization that

produces a feeling of normlessness, anomie. Durkheim (1979) suggested this in Suicide

where he notes, “…when society is disturbed by some painful crisis or by beneficent but

abrupt transitions, it is momentarily incapable of exercising this [moral] influence; thence

come the sudden rises in the curve of suicides…” (p. 252). While Durkheim addressed

suicide in his discussion of anomie, deviant behavior, under which suicide falls, includes

bullying.

Therefore, the theory of anomie is an explanation of delinquency, school violence, and

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