EDITORIAL - Most bullied children

There is one other disheartening aspect of the global education survey in which 15-year-old Filipino students ranked lowest in reading comprehension and second lowest in mathematics and science. The results of the latest Program for International Student Assessment or PISA also showed that Filipino students are among the most exposed to bullying.

The PISA study showed that 65 percent of Filipino students, mostly in senior high school, experienced bullying “at least a few times a month,” according to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate committee on basic education. This is way higher than the 23 percent average among the 79 countries included in the PISA survey conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Both victims and perpetrators of bullying, according to the PISA study, show poorer academic performance, tend to skip classes and even drop out of school. The study indicated that students who reported being bullied scored 56 points lower in reading comprehension compared to those with little or no such experiences.

The Philippines passed an ant-bullying law, Republic Act 10627, back in 2013. It requires schools from kindergarten to high school to implement measures to prevent bullying.

Technology has made bullying easier. In February this year, the United Nations Children’s Fund reported that cyber bullying, online violence and digital harassment affected over 70 percent of youths worldwide, with girls at greater risk than boys. The report was based on a study of one million people aged 15 to 24 years old from over 160 countries.

The PISA study recommends direct intervention by bystanders to prevent bullying. This, however, is difficult in the anonymity of cyberspace. UNICEF warned that victims of cyber bullying are more likely to skip school, abuse drugs and alcohol, perform poorly in academics and suffer health problems. Their low self-esteem can lead to suicide – an increasing problem in Philippine schools.

The Anti-Bullying Act has recommended measures to address the problem. Various quarters are also pushing for emphasis on Comprehensive Values Education in schools, to include Good Manners and Right Conduct. This is a complex problem that needs urgent solutions.