HOW BULLYING AFFECTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG SHS LEARNERS

The Impact of Bullying on the Academic Performance of Senior High School Learners

RATIONALE

Republic Act No. 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 is a law implemented in the
Philippines that forbids all forms of bullying. Section 2 of the said act defines bullying as 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 students;
infringing on the rights of the other students at school; or materially or substantially disrupting
the educational process or the orderly operation of the school; such as but not limited to 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; Any act that causes damage to a victim’s psyche and/or
emotional well-being; 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 Cyber-bullyng
or any bullying done through the use of technology or any electronic means.

In the Philippines there has been various reports on cases of bullying. DepEd Asst. Sec.
Dexter Galban, reported during a Senate hearing on anti-bullying 1,309 bullying cases since RA
10627 or Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 was passed into law. Based on the data presented, bullying
cases the past seven years, showed 56.79% were physical, 25.43% were social, 5.92% were
gender-based,6.03% were cyber bullying and 5.83% was retaliation or revenge
(Manilastandard.net, Feb.13,2023)
This law has a great impact for the people especially to students who are highly affected
of getting bullied. This act gives justice to those who are bullied, who are getting bullied and
who will get bullied. A study conducted by Hana Khaled Al-Raqqad, et.al, (2016) concluded that
bullying exists an almost every school either governmental or private one but with different
levels. The search found that school bullying affects academic achievement either for the
victims who suffer from these phenomena and in the same time it affects the bullies
themselves.
Student-respondents in the study on The Bullying Experiences and Classroom Discipline
Techniques in an Urban National High School in the Philippines by Cardona, et.al., (2015)
claimed bullying incidences of different magnitude. Under the direct type of bullying, students
experienced incidences of pushing/shoving, being bitten, cases of extortion, theft, hitting,
spitting, kicking and throwing of papers. In terms of verbal bullying, they felt they were insulted,
mocked, and given dirty looks. They were as well coerced, excluded from group and was
threatened under the psychological type of bullying. On the other hand, occurrences of indirect
bullying were also noted by the respondents such as receiving insulting and threatening texts
and intimidating gossips thru the internet world. Aside from these incidences of cyber type of
bullying, students asserted cases of social bullying like spreading of hearsays and vandalism.
In our school community, it was observed that students particularly in the SHS also
experienced several incidents of bullying. An interview with the school guidance and discipline
personnel revealed that there is significant number of recorded bullying incidents in the past
three years to the present. The office had also confirmed to have implemented initiatives to
address the issues, however, it was not clear how these incidents affected on the academic
performances of the involved learners since the primary goal of the action taken was only to
stop any form of bullying act to avoid damages on the victims.
For this reason, the researchers opted to investigate how bullying at school in any forms
affects the academic performances of SHS Students at Tuyom National High School this School
Year 2022-2023.
References:
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2013/09/12/republic-act-no-10627/
https://manilastandard.net/news/314305082/deped-cases-of-bullying-rise-in-ph-
schools.html
(1) (PDF) The Bullying Experiences and Classroom Discipline Techniques in an Urban
National High School in the Philippines: A Basis for an Anti-Bullying Program. Available from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321882096_The_Bullying_Experiences_and_Classro
om_Discipline_Techniques_in_an_Urban_National_High_School_in_the_Philippines_A_Basis_f
or_an_Anti-Bullying_Program [accessed Mar 30 2023].