CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction

Rationale of the Study

Bullying, as defined by Philippine Republic Act No. 10627, otherwise known as the
Antibullying Act of 2013, is "a slanderous act or statement of accusation that causes the
victim emotional distress, like directing foul language or profanity at the target or name-
calling, tormenting, and commenting negatively on the victim's looks, clothes, and body."
is typically understood as a phenomenon that occurs at school; it has been present in
every school, even in the school where researchers were assigned (Cebu City's Don
Carlos A. Gothing Memorial National Highschool). It comes in four forms: (1) verbal
bullying, the use of offending and insulting words towards the victim; (2) physical
bullying, the use of hurtful action towards the victim; (3) social bullying, destroying
someone's social relationship; and (4) cyber bullying, the use of social media by
harrassing the victim online. Almost one out of every four students (22%) reports being
bullied during the school year (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2015).
Although there are rules being implemented to address bullying in schools, bullying
stayed the same, and in such circumstances, it got worse. One of the researchers on this
study had experienced verbal bullying when she was in elementary school. Gen, her
nickname, was called "malnourished," "bamboo stick," and "skeleton" because of her thin
physique. She shared that it was a tough situation because, with her young mind, she still
does not know how to cope with it. And somehow it has affected how she thinks about
her body and the people around her. Bullying causes a lot of negative impacts on a
student, affecting their mental health aspects such as emotional, psychological, and social
well-being.

In the study of Nazir and Piskin (2015), they stated that everyone can be impacted by
bullying, including those who bully others and those who witness bullying. Bullying has
a number of detrimental effects, such as harm to mental health, substance abuse, and
suicide. Bullying can have a negative impact on someone's physical, academic, and
mental health. Children who are bullied become upset, sad, and sometimes even fearful.
Also, it gives individuals a sense of unease and forces them to believe they are
flawed.Furthermore, they lack the self-assurance and desire to attend school, which may
contribute to their illness. Studies indicate that bullies often come from homes where
physical punishment is used, where the children are taught to strike back physically as a
way to handle problems, and where parental involvement and warmth are frequently
lacking. Students who regularly display bullying behaviors are generally defiant or
oppositional toward adults, antisocial, and apt to break school rules. In contrast to
prevailing myths, bullies appear to have little anxiety and to possess strong self-esteem.
There is little evidence to support the contention that they victimize others because they
feel bad about themselves (Batsche & Knoff, 1994; Olweus, 1993). According to Galabo
(2019), in the narrative and thematic analysis of the study, bullying victims experienced
verbal or physical abuse, physical bullying, and social prejudice.Students can deal with
the negative and painful experiences of bullying by being passive, being optimistic and
persistent, and having a strong peer support system. The study also underlined that
campus bullying causes emotional discomfort and low self-esteem, that bullies should be
attentive to others' emotions, and that bullying should be limited, if not completely
prevented, in schools. These findings went along with the study's insights and
realizations. Therefore, it is strongly advised to handle this situation in order to create a
learning environment where children are safe and protected from any kind of abuse.

According to a global study of 79 countries, Macasero (2023) reports that the Philippines
has the highest proportion of students who are exposed to bullying in schools. In relation
to that, 65% of high school students in the Philippines report being the target of bullying
occasionally. This was significantly higher than the 79-country survey's average of 23%.
Among the victims, age that ranges from 12-18 in middle school are the most frequent
target of bullying. Using online sources, several research studies only focused on the
entire population of student victims of bullying in school. Additionally, in the Philippines
setting, there are no research studies that focus on campus bullying in junior high and the
mental effects of it ; they only focus on the effect of bullying on students' academic
performance and experiences, but it is not specified. The gap of this study is that it deeply
facilitates the investigation of the mental health of students who experienced bullying,
answering the cause, the motive, the effects, and exploring it specifically with junior high
school students.