CHAPTER I- THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

School is the place where children learns and molds themselves into a better person.

School is our second home. We spent almost 15 years of our life in school and we work hard

every day and give our best just to get good grades, to graduate and reach our dreams in life.

But that is not the only luxury that schools can give, they can also be a war, a place of survival

some may compare or see, where the strong ones and famous are honored and respected

while the weak and poor little once are bullied and held down.

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a

real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be

repeated over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats spreading rumors,

attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from group on purpose.

School bullying can happen when there is lack of supervision, and it can manifest as face-to-

face harassment or gossip spread through social media that affects school climate and school

safety.

In Indonesian, Roland and Idsea (2011) have investigated how reactive aggressive and

two proactive aggressiveness, power-related aggressiveness, are related to being bullied and
bullying others. In addition they have also attempted to differentiate between kinds of

aggressiveness, in bullying among boys and girls in different grades. Overall, they have found

that there was a good correlation between both proactive power-related aggressiveness and

proactive affiliation-related aggressiveness, and being involved in bullying behavior. Fandren et

al. (2009) have also conducted a bullying study in Norwegian schools using the same scales

developed by Roland and Idsea. The result showed that proactive power-related aggressiveness

and affiliation-related to bullying behavior, but somehow different strength in gender relation.

Hence, although there might be different results in other studies, Roland and Idsea and Fandran

et al. in their studies have somehow shown associations between bullying cultural patterns and

aggressiveness as well as between gender and degree of aggressiveness.

Local and National studies have affirmed the alarming situation of bullying and school

violence involving Filipino children. The intensity of violence has reached a disturbing rate that

has pushed policy-makers to formulate bullying prevention schemes. Despite of organized

attempts to make schools a safe environment, this dilemma poses critical risks that call for

aggressive and determined actions to fight violence in schools (Ancho 2013)

Thus, given the large number of youth involved in the bullying dynamic coupled with the

devastating consequences of this involvement, it is vital for researchers, practitioners, and

school personnel to understand what motivates bullying behavior as well as the detrimental

effects on victims. Theory is a useful tool to illuminate the social process of bullying.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This chapter presents relevant theories and psychological perspectives that will help to
further validate the study.

Related Theories

This study is guided by Jean Piaget’s Moral Development Theory (1950).

Moral Development Theory is defined as the process through which children develop

proper attitudes and behaviors toward other people in society, based on social and cultural

norms, rules, and laws.

Moral development is a concern for every parent. Teaching a child to distinguish right

from wrong and to behave accordingly is a goal of parenting.

Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, explored how children developed moral reasoning. He

rejected the idea that children learn and internalize the rules and morals of society by being

given the rules and forced to adhere to them. Through his research on how children formed

their judgments about moral behavior, he recognized that children learn morality to society's

norms of what is right and wrong, and that the process was active rather than passive.

Piaget found two main differences in how children thought about moral behavior. Very

young children's thinking is based on how actions affected them or what the results of an action

were. For example, young children will say that when trying to reach a forbidden cookie jar,

breaking 10 cups is worse than breaking one. They also recognize the sanctity of rules. For
example, they understand that they cannot make up new rules to a game; they have to play by

what the rule book says or what is commonly known to be the rules. Piaget called this "moral

realism with objective responsibility." It explains why young children are concerned with

outcomes rather than intentions.

Older children look at motives behind actions rather than consequences of actions. They

are also able to examine rules, determining whether they are fair or not, and apply these rules

and their modifications to situations requiring negotiation, assuring that everyone affected by

the rules is treated fairly. Piaget felt that the best moral learning came from these cooperative

decision-making and problem-solving events. He also believed that children developed moral

reasoning quickly and at an early age.

Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, extended Piaget's work in cognitive

reasoning into adolescence and adulthood. He felt that moral development was a slow process

and evolved over time. Still, his six stages of moral development, drafted in 1958, mirrors

Piaget's early model. Kohlberg believed that individuals made progress by mastering each

stage, one at a time. A person could not skip stages. He also felt that the only way to encourage

growth through these stages was by discussion of moral dilemmas and by participation in

consensus democracy within small groups. Consensus democracy was rule by agreement of the

group, not majority rule. This would stimulate and broaden the thinking of children and adults,

allowing them to progress from one stage to another.

 PRECONVENTIONAL LEVEL. The child at the first and most basic level, the pre-

conventional level, is concerned with avoiding punishment and getting needs met. This level

has two stages and applies to children up to 10 years of age.

Stage one is the Punishment-Obedience stage. Children obey rules because they are told

to do so by an authority figure (parent or teacher), and they fear punishment if they do not

follow rules. Children at this stage are not able to see someone else's side.

Stage two is the Individual, Instrumentation, and Exchange stage. Here, the behavior is

governed by moral reciprocity. The child will follow rules if there is a known benefit to him or

her. Children at this stage also mete out justice in an eye-for-an-eye manner or according to

Golden Rule logic. In other words, if one child hits another, the injured child will hit back. This is

considered equitable justice. Children in this stage are very concerned with what is fair.

Children will also make deals with each other and even adults. They will agree to behave

in a certain way for a payoff. "I'll do this, if you will do that." Sometimes, the payoff is in the

knowledge that behaving correctly is in the child's own best interest. They receive approval

from authority figures or admiration from peers, avoid blame, or behave in accordance with

their concept of self. They are just beginning to understand that others have their own needs

and drives.

CONVENTIONAL LEVEL This level broadens the scope of human wants and needs.

Children in this level are concerned about being accepted by others and living up to their
expectations. This stage begins around age 10 but lasts well into adulthood, and is the stage

most adults remain at throughout their lives.

Stage three, Interpersonal Conformity, is often called the "good boy/good girl" stage.

Here, children do the right thing because it is good for the family, peer group, team, school, or

church. They understand the concepts of trust, loyalty, and gratitude. They abide by the Golden

Rule as it applies to people around them every day. Morality is acting in accordance to what the

social group says is right and moral.

Stage four is the Law and Order, or Social System and Conscience stage. Children and

adults at this stage abide by the rules of the society in which they live. These laws and rules

become the backbone for all right and wrong actions. Children and adults feel compelled to do

their duty and show respect for authority. This is still moral behavior based on authority, but

reflects a shift from the social group to society at large.

POST-CONVENTIONAL LEVEL.  Some teenagers and adults move beyond conventional

morality and enter morality based on reason, examining the relative values and opinions of the

groups with which they interact. Few adults reach this stage.

Correct behavior is governed by the sixth stage, the Social Contract and Individual Rights

stage. Individuals in this stage understand that codes of conduct are relative to their social

group. This varies from culture to culture and subgroup to subgroup. With that in mind, the

individual enters into a contract with fellow human beings to treat them fairly and kindly and to

respect authority when it is equally moral and deserved. They also agree to obey laws and

social rules of conduct that promote respect for individuals and value the few universal moral
values that they recognize. Moral behavior and moral decisions are based on the greatest good

for the greatest number.

Stage six is the Principled Conscience or the Universal/Ethical Principles stage. Here,

individuals examine the validity of society's laws and govern themselves by what they consider

to be universal moral principles, usually involving equal rights and respect. They obey laws and

social rules that fall in line with these universal principles, but not others they deem as

aberrant. Adults here are motivated by individual conscience that transcends cultural, religious,

or social convention rules. Kohlberg recognized this last stage but found so few people who

lived by this concept of moral behavior that he could not study it in detail.

This theory is relevant to this study because it is the process through which children

develop proper attitudes and behaviors toward other people in society, based on social and

cultural norms, rules, and laws.

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variables

Criminology students of Impact of bullying: basis for

Southern City Colleges Intervention

Figure 1

Conceptual Paradigm of the study

 The figure explains the flow of the study. The Independent variable are Criminology

Students of Southern City Colleges and the dependent variable is the Impact of bullying: basis

for intervention. The researchers will determine the significant relationships of the variables,

when they are group according to their demographic profile.

Statement of the problem

This study aims to determine the Impact of bullying as basis for intervention among

Criminology Students of Southern City Colleges.

Specifically, sought to answer the following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 Age;

1.2 Sex;

1.3 Civil status

1.4 Economic status

2. To what extent is the impact of bullying as basis for intervention among criminology students

of Southern City Colleges?

3. Is there any significant relationships between the impacts of bullying as basis for intervention

among criminology Students of Southern City Colleges when they are grouped according to

their profile?
Hypothesis

Ha. There is a significant relationship on the impact of bullying as basis for intervention

among criminology students of southern city colleges to their demographic profile.

Significance of the Study

This study may have significance in terms of its contribution to the improvement of life of the

following:

Students. Students will be the ones directly affected by this study. The findings of this study

may serve as a basis in bringing out the real situation of bullying in this institution. Thus, will

likewise serve as a basis for coming up with a clear implementing rules and regulations on

bullying.

Faculty. As the main agent of education, teachers would benefit from this study. They will be

helped to identify bullies and bullied in their classes thereby helping their students develop

skills for handling bullies through role-playing, classroom discussions about the motivation and

effects of bullying to sensitize students and promote self-awareness thus, learning the proper

ways to address bullying.

Parents. The parents’ utmost concern is to make sure that their children get the highest

protection and safety in school where they are enrolled in possible. With the findings of this
study, and with a clear implementing rules and regulations on bullying, they can be rest

assured that their children are in the hands of people running the best schools in the city.

School Administrators. Findings of this study may provide the school administrators with very

vital information on their school’s status on bullying, areas which need further improvement

and areas that need strengthening would then be recognized. They can make this be a part of

the curriculum where students learn to identify bullying language and actions in themselves

and others and be taught positive communication skills. This knowledge will help create a more

positive environment where bullying is less likely to occur.  

Community. Since private educational institutions are seen as an alternative to the more

affordable but congested state and local universities and colleges, the community may be

assured of highest protection and safety of their children possible as an eventual result of this

study. They will also be made aware that they can be part in planning bullying prevention and

intervention programs and setting measurable and achievable goals to ensure everyone

understands the problem and their role in stopping it.

Future Researchers. May benefit from this study by using this as a basis for replication in

another time and place.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study focused on the impact of bullying as basis for intervention among

criminology students of Southern City Colleges. They were chosen to be the respondents of this

research because some of them may experience bullying in in their daily lives and undergo the
difficult challenges, by using simple random with 150 respondents. Also this study directly

involves bullies and those who are bullied. This study aims to deepen our knowledge about

bullying and how it affects the attitude of the victims or students and especially on their

performance in school.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Bully. Is defined as simply forcing one’s way aggressively or by intimidation, the term

May generally apply to any life experience where one is motivated primarily by

intimidation instead of by more positive goals such as mutually shared interest and

benefits.

Cyber bullying. Takes place over cyberspace. This includes both Internet and

cellphone communication. Like physical bullying, cyber bullying is aimed at younger

people, such as children and teenagers. It may involve harassing, threatening,

embarrassing, or humiliating young people online.

Physical bullying- This is any bullying that hurts someone’s body or damages their

Possessions. Stealing, shoving, hitting, fighting, and destroying property all are types of

physical bullying. Physical bullying is rarely the first form of bullying that a target will

experience. Often bullying will begin in a different form and progress to physical

violence. In physical bullying the main weapon the bully uses is their body.

Verbal bullying. This is any bullying that is done by speaking. Calling names,

spreading rumors, threatening somebody, and making fun of others are all forms of
verbal bullying. Verbal bullying is one of the most common types of bullying. In verbal

bullying the main weapon the bully uses is their voice.

Intervention. An occurrence in which a person with a problem is confronted by a group

(as of friends or family members) whose purpose is to compel the person to

acknowledge and deal with the problem.

CHAPTER II – REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This study presents the related literature and studies cited to enhance understanding of

the study towards broader perspectives.

Local literature and related studies

School bullying refers to all types of bullying done on school property, whether it

is peer-to-peer bullying, bullying of younger children by older children, or bullying in which a

teacher is either a victim or a culprit. According to the National Center for Education Statistics,

nearly a third of all students aged 12 – 18 reported having been bullied at school in 2007, some

almost daily. This article gives a general background on school bullying.  There are different

categories of school bullying. One is pack bullying which is undertaken by a group. The 2009

Wesley Report on bullying prepared by an Australia-based group, found that pack bullying was

more prominent in high schools and characteristically lasted longer that bullying undertaken by

individuals. Pack bullying may be physical bullying or emotional bullying and be perpetrated in

person or in cyberspace. In person, it can take place in schoolyards, school hallways, sports

fields and gymnasiums, classrooms, and on the school bus. Another one is individual bullying, a

one-on-one bullying that may take place either in person or online, as well as being physical
bullying or emotional bullying.  The Wesley Report found it to be more prevalent in elementary

schools. It can take place everywhere that pack bullying can, and also in smaller areas into

which a pack can't fit, such as bathrooms.

There are also modes of school bullying. Physical bullying is bullying that takes the form

of physical abuse, such as pushing, shoving, hitting, fighting, spitting, and tripping. Threats of

physical harm and attempts to force people to act in ways they would prefer are also included.

Emotional bullying is bullying that involves factors other than physical interaction, such as

insults, derogatory remarks, name calling, and teasing. Also included are attempts to ostracize

the victim, such as being left out or ignored, which is sometimes referred to as social bullying,

as distinguished from verbal bullying. Emotional bullying could also take the form of purposely

misplacing or hiding someone's belongings. Emotional bullying can be done in person or

through cyber bullying.  School bullying has also its medium. Face-to-face bullying is bullying in

which students confront each other in person. Cyber bullying is bullying that takes place online,

through either email, chat rooms, social networking services, text messages, instant messages,

website postings, blogs, or a combination of means. Cyber bullies may conceal their identity so

that their victim experiences an anonymous attack. The content of cyber bullying can consist of

all of the types of content mentioned in emotional bullying above, including posting insulting

and derogatory comments about someone or sending such comments to someone; sending

mean or threatening messages; gossiping about someone online including posting sensitive or

private information; impersonating someone in order to cast that person in a bad light; and

excluding someone from an online page or group. Unwanted contact, also known as

harassment, is another form of cyber bullying.  School bullying has specific targets. Homophobic
bullying is sometimes distinguished because it has a particular target population. Bullying of

students with disabilities is another type of bullying with a focused target population. Racist

bullying is a third type of focused bullying that targets people of a specific race or cultural and

religious bullying targets people who have specific religious beliefs .

(http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/school-bullying.html)

FOREIGN LITERATURE AND RELATED STUDIES

Based on the World Health Organization, schools need to have adequate reporting

systems as well. They need to encourage teachers and staff to report the incidents that occur.

This way the school can provide a way to protect students and prevent these circumstances

from occurring again. Reporting also helps track the individual incidents and responses so you

can see if there’s a trend (US Department of Health and Human Services). By using this system,

possible future incidents can be prevented. Make the reporting system easy to use and

confidential, and encourage staff to use it. Communication is not just verbal. A school can also

provide nonverbal cues. These can include interior decorations like signs, it can include teachers

and staff, and it can include the exterior of the school. The look of the school sends a strong

message to students and parents about whether the school fosters a positive environment. If it

does not send a good message, bullying is more likely to occur; engage parents. Many people

are involved in children’s lives. They all have an impact. When these people work together, the

biggest difference can be made in a child’s life. Communication with parents about their child’s

behavior whether their child is a perpetrator of or on the receiving end of bullying behavior can

be tricky.
Thus, teachers and staff need to build rapport with the parents of their students. Keeping

parents informed about their child’s grades, friends, behavior, and even attitudes in school is an

important tool when addressing behaviors. Working together, parents and teachers can provide

a consistent approach to introduce more productive and appropriate replacement behaviors.

This makes the message more likely to sink in and stick with the child. It can even help the child

recognize when another child is being bullied or is a bully (US Department of Health and Human

Services).

In urban areas, some parents may have had a difficult time with schools in the past and

may sense a lack of connection and trust in school staff. Staff should show parents how their

school has changed or is changing, and that every student is given an opportunity to succeed;

look for warning signs; when bullying is occurring, there may be warning signs. When a child is

being bullied, he can show many different signs that indicate that bullying is occurring. Teachers

may not witness every incident, but that’s why it’s necessary to involve other students, as well

as parents. Does the child have unexplainable injuries, frequent headaches or stomachaches,

changes in eating habits, difficulty sleeping, declining grades, loss of interest in school, loss of

friends, lost or destroyed personal items, decreased self-esteem? Does the child avoid social

situations or talk of harming herself (US Department of Health and Human Services)? These are

only a few of the warning signs that indicate that a child is being bullied. No child shows the

same signs.

There are also signs that a child is bullying another: if the child gets into a lot of fights or

has friends that bully others, if the child is increasingly aggressive or sent to the principal’s

office frequently, if the child has new belongings, blame others for his problems, refuse to
accept responsibility for his actions, or worry about his popularity and reputation (US

Department of Health and Human Services). These are only a few signs that indicate that a child

is engaging in bullying behavior. In order to fully understand what’s going on, teachers must

communicate and work with the child’s parents; when bullying occurs, clear the scene. Most of

the time, teachers and staff break up incidents as they occur. It’s important to separate the

students involved to gather the facts. This allows the school to fix the situation while preventing

it from occurring again. There are often bystanders, and bystanders frequently encourage and

reinforce bullies (Mahoney, 2012). It’s often easier to first remove the bystanders and then to

deal with the bully and the target. Once the crowd is split up, get the facts. Interview Bullying is

not going to end right away. Be persistent and consistent about stopping it, follow through with

consequences, and follow up with the students after incidents (US Department of Health and

Human Services). Teachers should show the kids that they really care, and they could become

their trusted adult; monitor hot spots. There are certain places where bullying occurs the most,

and these are often areas where adults are not present, areas like hallways, bathrooms,

playgrounds, and busses. When an adult is present, children feel safer, and bullying behaviors

are less likely to occur. It’s important for adults to be alert and to give their full attention when

multiple children are present.

Statistics show that 47.2% of bullying occurs in a hallway or stairwell and 33.6% of

bullying happens in the classroom. 20% of bullying situations occur on school grounds, on

playgrounds, on school busses, when kids are walking to and from school, and in lunchrooms,

gyms, and cyberspace (Mahoney, 2012). All of these places cannot be covered, so one way to

stop behaviors is to have open communication. All staff must work together to keep these spots
monitored; know your state law and district policies. The US government also aims to ensure

that students have the safest environments possible. That’s why 49 out of 50 states currently

have bullying laws in place (Bully Police USA, 2012). All staff should be familiar with their state

laws and regulations regarding bullying. They should also know what their school district’s

policy is and whether it follows the state law.

Likewise, Wallace (2012) published in her book, 7 ways schools can prevent bullying.

She said that bullying is always in the news. Most recently there was a story about a mom who

hit a child on a school bus because he was bullying her daughter. Taking matters into her

own hands was certainly the wrong thing to do. Unfortunately, many parents feel alone with

the problem when it occurs and doubtful that their child's school will help. As a child and family

therapist, she believes that schools need to take a greater role in handling bullying. The schools

are in a position to provide more protection and support to children and their parents. Bullying

occurs for a large part within the school's perimeters- in the lunchroom, in the locker room,

during recess or right outside the building. Schools have professionals available, and they have

a real capacity to be the positive force to diminish these occurrences: as part of the curriculum,

students should learn to identify bullying language and actions in themselves and others. They

should also be taught positive communication skills. This knowledge will help create a more

positive environment where bullying is less likely to occur; there should be an established

system for a child to report being bullied (anonymously, if needed) and get immediate help.

A counselor and other professionals should meet with the children involved and their

families to determine a solution; there should be classroom discussions about the motivation
and effects of bullying to sensitize students and promote self-awareness. Children should

understand that bullies are children who have experienced some form of bullying themselves.

They behave aggressively in an attempt to retaliate. They are children who feel powerless and

suffer from low self-esteem. They attempt to heighten their self-esteem by surrounding

themselves with other children whom they can control, who often feel insecure themselves.

Bullies then find someone to diminish in an attempt to inflate themselves. It should be

emphasized that children who are bullied suffer terribly. This education can help the children to

make better, more positive choices and to become the school's partners in eliminating bullying;

professionals should teach the children skills for handling bullies through role-playing and other

techniques. For example, the students can write plays and act out different bullying scenarios in

the classroom.  Each child should act out being the bully, the bully’s supporter and the victim,

to gain a more tangible understanding; counseling should be available to kids who are bullied,

for the bullies and for those who help the bullies. When needed, these children should be

referred to outside therapists for on-going help; there should be school-wide events that focus

the student body on bullying, for instance, “Bullying Awareness Tuesdays.” There could be

activities in each class such as designing slogans to put on the walls such as: “It's wrong to bully

others” or “It's wrong to go along with a bully.”

A child who reports bullying should be rewarded; schools should have strong

repercussions for bullying. Bullying is now an illegal offense and there should be 0 tolerance for

this behavior. At the same time the official a real effort to get to the bottom of the cause, by

discussions with the child's family and the child are essential. Families need to examine their

family relationships and make sure there is no bullying going on at home; if the child's school
has no support system in place of parents' association should lobby for the school to develop

one. Bullying has been a part of society since its inception, and will not easily disappear. But

with the joint effort of the schools, the parents and the children, going to school can become a

healthier, safer experience.