CHAPTER I

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

"Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the

darkness of the soul." as what Dave Pelzer said.

Child abuse is a widespread issue that has serious long-term effects. It has been shown

that all societies have a high prevalence of violence against children, including

exploitation, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as neglect (WHO, 2002; UN,

2006). The analysis of the prevalence and effects of childhood maltreatment and other

harsh circumstances has grown significantly over the last ten years (Widom, 2009;

Pereda, 2009). Child abuse and neglect can result in death in situations that are life-

threatening. Approximately 1,484 children lost their lives due to abuse or neglect in 2013.

Juvenile abuse and neglect can result in significant human suffering, a social

disadvantage, and financial loss due to the morbidity, disability, and mortality that they

cause (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2012).

It is essential to give children accurate information and education in order to

increase their awareness of the provisions of R.A. 7610. In addition, community-based

programs and workshops can be organized to raise awareness among children and their

families about the rights and protections provided by R.A. 7610. Working with schools to

incorporate age-appropriate curriculum on child protection and the provisions of the law

can also help increase awareness among children. Parents and educators should play a

crucial role in this process by actively engaging with children and discussing the

provisions of the law. Furthermore, reaching a larger audience and educating kids about

R.A. 7610 can be accomplished by utilizing a variety of media platforms, including radio,

television, and social media. By putting these tactics into practice, we can raise children's
awareness of R.A. 7610's provisions and provide them the tools they need to defend

themselves and others against exploitation and abuse.

The 7610, otherwise known as the "Special Protection of children Against Child

Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act" serves as the primary law addressing child

abuse and providing measures for the protection and rehabilitation of child victims. It

defines the different forms of abuse and sets penalties for those found guilty of

committing such acts.

According to Kailash Satyarthi Silence against child abuse is violence". The

silence of society towards cases of abuse experience by children is like neglecting to help

them. The children is the face of our future leaving theme suffering is like watching our

future Shattered in to peaces.Educating and trained the child to know and fight for the

rights he have is giving them a protection against abused. Violence can happen in any

place. It can happen inside their homes, communities and even in schools,” Angelo

Tapales said adding that most of these abuses were committed against adolescents aged

15 to 17. The government created many units or offices that focus on child protections

and implementation of law in regards to child abuse. The biggest problem in most cases

of child abuse is the child did not know that he/she being molested or abused. The case

only reported when a child being seriously abused on the point that even recognizing him

is difficult. The child abuse is one of the common cases is society yet it cannot stop due

to lack of knowledge of our children to three rights as a child in our country.

CONCEPTUAL/THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK

This study focused on the awareness of Children on the Provision of Republic Act

7610 wherein "Children" refers to person below eighteen (18) years of age or those over
but are unable to fully take care of themselves or protect themselves from abuse, neglect,

cruelty, exploitation or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or

condition.

As child abuse refers to any act which inflicts physical or psychological injury,

cruelty to or the neglect, sexual abuse of, or which exploits, a child.

Republic Act 7610, otherwise known as the "Special Protection of children

Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, " and/or crimes against

children, including the conceived but unborn child as provided for by the Revised penal

Code and other pertinent laws.

Any person who will commit any other acts of child abuse, cruelty or exploitation

or to be responsible for other conditions prejudicial to the child's development including

those covered by Article 59 of Presidential Decree No. 603, as amended, but not covered

by the Revised Penal Code should suffer the penalty of imprisonment.

Research Paradigm

The research paradigm of the study is illustrated in Figure 1.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Profile of the
Respondents: Assessment on the A Wide Understanding Of
Age: between 12-17 years awareness of Children aged 13 to 17 on
old the R.A. 7610
children on the
Gender: Male and Female provisions of
Educational attainment: A More Responsible and
Republic Act 7610 Participative children at
Education and Non
Baler, Aurora
education

The Research Paradigm

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Generally, this study aimed to determine the awareness of children on the R.A

7610 in Baler, Aurora.

Specifically, the study aimed to provide answers to the following question:

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

a) Name (Optional),

b) Aged,

c) Sex, and

d) Educational Attainment

2. What are the level of awareness of children on the Provisions of R.A 7610 in Baler,

Aurora?

HYPOTHESIS

1. All children in Baler, Aurora are fully aware on the provisions of R.A 7610.

SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY

The findings of this study may provide valuable information to the local

government and barangay, to the youth of Baler, Aurora., and to the future researcher.

For the Researcher. This study may provide additional knowledge and deeper

understanding about on the awareness of children on the provisions of R.A 7610 in Baler,

Aurora.

For the Local Government and Barangay. This study will help the barangay

and local government as it will be a source of data information for the barangay and

municipal regarding the awareness of children aged 12-17 on R.A 7610 that can be
considered as their basis in the creation of programs that will help to protect the rights of

the youth.

For the Youth of Baler, Aurora. The youth of Baler, Aurora will benefit from

this research. This study will help them understand the importance of knowing their

rights, may feel honored that one way or another, they contributed positively in the

community.

For future researcher. This study may help future researcher as a useful basis

and future reference in undertaking further studies along with this topic.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

The general focus of this study is to determined the awareness of children on the

provisions of R.A. 7610 in the youth of Baler, Aurora.

The respondents of this study are composed of four thousand and five forty six

(4546) aged 13 to 17 years old at Baler, Aurora. The youth aged 18 above and 11 aged

below are not included in this study: the period of conducting the study is within the year

2023 to 2024. A survey questionnaire is distributed to the respondents to gather data for

analysis and findings

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Children. Refers to' persons below eighteen (18) years of age which shall include the

conceived but unborn child or those over eighteen (18) years but who are unable to fully

take care of themselves or protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or

discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition.

Child Abuse. Refers to any act or omission as defined and penalized by republic Act No.

7610, otherwise known as the "Special Protection of children Against Child Abuse,

Exploitation and Discrimination Act, " and/or crimes against children, including the

conceived but unborn child as provided for by the Revised penal Code and other pertinent

laws.

Cruelty. It is experience some of those children has a violence act through physical even

emotional mental abuse.

Discrimination. It is experience of children was difference treatment among siblings.

Injury. It refers to the damage to the body of child caused of maltreatment.

Minor. It is defined as a child who not yet enough knowledge and awareness of their

rights like an adult.

Neglect. It is define to some children experiencing for not giving enough attention from

their family.

Protection. It is defined of being care for those children to make it them safe and

secured.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter present a review of related literature and studies both foreign and

local. This also present the different variable related to the study and provides an

overview of the R.A 7610 also known as Special Protection of Children Against Abuse,

Exploitation and Discrimination Act, in particular their importance, development, and

use.

Local related literature

Base on the law R.A 7610 also known as “Special Protection of Children Against

Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act”. On June 17, 1992, to comply with the

mandate of the U.N. CRC, the government enacted R.A. 7610, "An Act Providing for

Stronger Deterrence and Special Protection Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and

Discrimination, Providing Penalties for Its Violation and For Other Purposes". Although,

R.A. 7610 was lauded for the innovative provisions it introduced for the protection of

children in especially difficult circumstances, it was nevertheless severely criticized for

its provisions on working children which abruptly changed the entire Philippine policy of

prohibiting child labour. Article VIII, Section 12, of R.A. 7610 legalized the employment

of all children below 15 years of age, provided only that the employer first secures a

work permit from the Department of Labour and Employment and ensures the protection

of the child.

According to Sen. Manny Villar, BILL 1245 - There are at present several laws

and ordinances upholding, protecting, and or promoting, the rights and welfare of the
Filipino children. The two noteworthy laws are RA 7610, otherwise known as the

"Special Protection of Children Against child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination

Act and RA 7658, An Act Amending in Section 12, RA 7610 (on Child Employment).

This not Withstanding, violations and malicious disregard of children's rights and welfare

are to date increasing. Evil men remain undeterred in their commission of evil against

children. RA 7610 is comprehensive enough in defining and providing penalties for the

different acts and!or omissions of child abuse, exploitation and discrimination. But the

law does not mandate the creation of a body that shall exclusively be in charge of

pursuing and ensuring the successful prosecution of perpetrators. Existing public and

private agencies have proven to be effective in reporting and monitoring child abuses,

exploitation and discrimination. But they have not been as effective in the prosecution

and ultimately the successful final conviction of violators of children's right. For more

often than not, the complainants, due to financial reasons, among others, abandon and!or

lose interest in pursuing the case. Hence, the criminals go scot-free, remaining

unrestrained to commit their crimes all over again. What we need therefore is a body

which shall be powerful and aggressive enough to initiate investigation and pursue the

prosecution, on its own, of any all incidences of child abuse, exploitation and

discrimination. The body must be intervene in any and!or all cases, criminal or otherwise,

child abuse, exploitation, and discrimination, particularly but not limited to cases where

the parent, guardian, teacher or person having care or custody of the child fails or is

unable to FULLY represent and protect the child's rights. We need, therefore, a guardian

exclusively of children's rights.

Foreign Related Literature

According to Arthur M. Kemoli and Mildred Mavindu, Child abuse and neglect

are serious global problems and can be in the form of physical, sexual, emotional or just

neglect in providing for the child's needs. These factors can leave the child with serious,

long-lasting psychological damage. In the present case report, a 12-year-old orphaned

boy was physically abused by a close relative who caused actual bodily and emotional

trauma to the boy. After satisfactorily managing the trauma and emotional effects to the

patient, in addition to the counseling services provided to the caregiver, the patient made

a steady recovery. He was also referred to a child support group for social support, and

prepare him together with his siblings for placement in a children's home in view of the

hostile environment in which they were living. For a long time, child protection in

general has been perceived as a matter for the professionals specializing in social service,

health, mental health, and justice systems. However, this problem remains a duty to all,

and more so a concern for other social scientists such as anthropologists, economists,

historians, planners, political scientists, sociologists, and humanists (e.g., ethicists, legal

scholars, political theorists, and theologians) who contribute to the understanding of the

concepts of and strategies in child protection and the responsibility for adults and

institutions with roles in ensuring the safety and the humane care of children under their

care. Child abuse, therefore, is when harm or threat of harm is made to a child by

someone acting in the role of caretaker. It is a worldwide problem with no social, ethnic,

and racial bounds. Child abuse can be in the form of physical abuse, when the child

suffers bodily harm as a result of a deliberate attempt to hurt the child, or severe
discipline or physical punishment inappropriate to the child's age. It can be sexual abuse

arising from subjecting the child to inappropriate exposure to sexual acts or materials or

passive use of the child as sexual stimuli and/or actual sexual contacts. Child abuse can

also be in the form of emotional abuse involving coercive, constant belittling, shaming,

humiliating a child, making negative comparisons to others, frequent yelling, threatening,

or bullying of the child, rejecting and ignoring the child as punishment, having limited

physical contact with the child (e.g., no hugs, kisses, or other signs of affection),

exposing the child to violence or abuse of others or any other demeaning acts. All these

factors can lead to interference with the child's normal social or psychological

development leaving the child with lifelong psychological scars. Lastly, child abuse can

be in the form of child neglect, when an able caregiver fails to provide basic needs,

adequate food, clothing, hygiene, supervision shelter, supervision, medical care, or

support to the child. It is usually difficult to detect child abuse, unless one creates an

atmosphere that would encourage disclosure by the child being abused. Nonetheless, a

good medical and social history may help to unravel the problem. Signs and symptoms of

child abuse commonly include subnormal growth of the child, unexplained head and

dental injuries, soft-tissue injuries like bruises and bite marks, burns and bony injuries

like broken ribs, in the absence of a history pointing to the cause or causes of the trauma.

The present case report describes a child who was abuse by a very close relative, and who

caused physical and psychological trauma to the young lad.

Base on the case report, Peter, a 13-year-old boy, accompanied by his maternal

aunt, presented at the local university Dental Hospital (Pediatric Dental Clinic) in Kenya

in October 2013, with a complaint of a large, painful left facial swelling related to the left
upper incisors. He had been referred from a local rural hospital where he had been taken

by the same aunt, for treatment of the swelling. The swelling had occurred only 2 days

prior to visiting the local hospital, and 4 days before presenting himself at the University

Dental Hospital. Enquiry about the causes of the swelling provided unclear answers.

Family history indicated that the young boy was a first-born among three siblings (9-

year-old girl, 5-year-old boy), and that their single parent (mother) had been deceased for

6 years due to HIV-related complications. The three children had moved to live with their

maternal grandparents and their seven sons. The patient had no adverse past medical

history and had never consulted a dentist previous to the present problem. The boy was in

grade seven in a local primary school and had the aspiration of becoming a medical

doctor in future. It was not possible to establish from the aunt or the boy the situation of

the patient's other siblings.

An extra-oral examination showed a young boy with a normal gait, sickly,

unkempt, rather withdrawn, and small for his age. He had asymmetrical face due to the

swelling involving his left sub mandibular region and spreading upwards to the inferior

orbital margin, febrile (39.1°C), a marked sub mandibular encephalopathy on the left

side, the skin overlying the swelling was warm, shiny and fluctuation, and the lips were

dry and incompetent (2 cm).

 However, of the presence of the COVID-19 Pandemic, every state or country is

still able to pass laws in order to establish child protective agencies to take some actions

by the law enforcement officials, either police or any peace officers in more severe types

of cases such as physical injuries, sexual abuse and the other sort of child abuses

(Besharov, 2017).

Moreover, if they work together, child protection officials with their respective

agencies and other child protection organizations can quickly develop different

approaches in fulfilling their responsibilities like virtual conferences (Buller et al., 2020).

Because the protection of the children from any child abuses, exploitation, and

discrimination is too important to be left to the helping hand of the different child

protection agencies rather than on black families or toxic environments or places (Levine

et al., 2020).

Further, most traditional law enforcement departures from their respective

agencies enforcing based on reports received, the responding officer in combating child

maltreatment he or she able to determine if there is a factual basis of existence in order

their efforts concentrated on preserving and collecting of evidence for prosecuting

someone criminally liable (Pence et 2017). What if these child protection agencies and

their officers do not contribute to the responsibility of child protection like monitoring

and reporting? Without the participation of this law enforcement official or personnel

from the different child protective agencies specified by the law, it appears that the

health-giving services and criminal justices system fail to take its responsibility in giving
children's needs, disabled right to protection and increasing its vulnerability of abuse

(Stalker & McArthur, 2018).

Moreover, Columbia University established a concept on child protection

agencies and their officers handle to provide responsibilities safety and protection of

well-being and permanency for the children but on the reporting of maltreatment is

beyond already the scope of responsibility that is why the African-American Children

experience maltreatment disparities (M, 2018). Society is dangerous and contributes risk

to child abuse once an individual or group of people cannot access anything or something

of deprivation to make themselves or their family survive (Popple & Leighninger, 2018).

Moreover, the Typical reason why the children's report to the child protection

agencies and received by their officers was containing unsubstantial testimonial pieces of

evidence that proof of its existence of maltreatment is because some children do not

know whether their statements are factual or not (Miller et al., 2018). Working on the

reporting of child abuse specified by law allows everyone to report wherein fact it

removes the concept of fear attempting to help protect a child from any sort of abuses via

a report (Faap & Faap, 2019).

However, not all time's environment could be a total contributor to the risk factors

of child abuse like; a study found that enhancing and improving community social

processes may be more effective than individual or family-level efforts in reducing

maltreatment because it prevents its cause which is poverty can increase the likelihood of

maltreatment (Font & Maguire-Jack, 2020).

 Nonetheless, the environment in the criminology aspect this composed of

families, communities, government, and non-govemment organizations, which had a vital

role in performing children's right to protection from maltreatment (Gabbidon, 2020).

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter present the following: research design, population of the study, data

gathering tools, data gathering procedure and Statistical treatment of data.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The study adopted the descriptive type of research. As define by Good and Scates

(1992), descriptive research includes studies that refer to prevent facts concerning the

nature and status of anything. It means in that descriptive research give meaning to

quality and standing of facts that are going on.

The descriptive methods was used by the researcher in this study, which has the

purpose of presenting facts about the study. This method described the data collected

through the use of the main treatment.

THE RESPONDENTS

The respondents of the study is composed of four thousand and five hundred

forty six (4,546) members made up of the children in Baler, Aurora, age range from

thirteen (13) to seventeen (17) who assume to agree to participate by accomplishing the

research-made survey questionnaires needed for this study.

THE INSTRUMENT
 The study made use of a researcher made survey questionnaire base from the

researcher gathering facts in regards to the awareness of children aged 13 to 17 years old

on the provisions of R.A 7610 in order for the researcher to come up with the survey

questionnaire that used to attain the researchers’ objectives and to solve the problem.

The date gathering instrument is consist of two parts. The first part deals with the

demographic profile of respondents in terms of age, gender, and educational attainment

and the second part is consist of the level of awareness of children on the provisions of

R.A 7610 in Baler, aurora.

DATE GATHERING PROCEDURE

The researcher gathered facts about the awareness of children aged 13 to 17 on

the previsions of R.A 7610 in Baler, Aurora. Data gathered through the effort of the

researcher to look on matter relating to the topic. After gathering the data, a survey

questionnaire will be prepared. The questionnaire submitted to the adviser for comments

and suggestions regarding the format and item content and after the approval of the

adviser, the said survey questionnaire validated. The researcher then asked the consent of

the adviser, to allow administering the survey questionnaire to respondents. The

researcher contributed the survey questionnaire to the respondents and immediately

collected it for efficient process of data gathering.

After the information was gathered, the quantitative results computed while

qualitative data first transcribed, analyzed and then categorized to derive the significant

information.

STATISTICAL TREATMENT OF DATA

 All data were encoded, tallied, analyzed, and interpreted using descritive

statistics.

The following statistical tools and techniques used to ensure the validity and the

systematic presentation, analysis and interpretation of data: frequency distributions,

percentage, weighted mean and 5 likert scale.

Percentage. This was used as a descriptive statistics to describe the relationship of a part

to whole. The formula is:

% =F/N x100

Where:

%= percentage;

F = frequency

N = number of respondents

Weighted mean. This as used to determine the awareness of children aged 13 to 17 on the

provisions of R.A 7610 in Baler, Aurora.

WM = (f (w))/n

5 Likert scale. This was used to interpret the data on the survey questionnaire used with

the computed weighted mean provided.

Assigned value Class Interval Verbal Interpretation Description

5 4.25 - 5 Fully Aware

4 3.5 - 4.24 Slightly Aware

3 2.75 - 3.49 Aware

2 1 - 2.74 Not Aware

1 0 - 0.9 Not interested

The formula for the class interval is : class interval = (highest option-lowest

option)/(number of option).