By El Amigo
MANILA — What begins as a campaign against bullying could evolve into something bigger: a nationwide effort to make schools more alert to warning signs of abuse, distress and potentially dangerous behavior.
The House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously approved House Bill No. 10134, declaring September as National Bullying Awareness and Prevention Month.
The bill received 245 affirmative votes on third and final reading, with no negative votes or abstentions.
House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III said the initiative is designed to emphasize prevention and early intervention, particularly because the effects of bullying can follow children for years.
“Kaya mahalaga ang prevention, awareness, at maagang pagkilos (That’s why prevention, awareness, and early action are important),” Dy said.
Under the proposal, the Department of Education (DepEd), together with the National Youth Commission and Council for the Welfare of Children, would organize annual activities focused on bullying prevention and child protection.
At first glance, the legislation is about bullying. But its broader significance may lie in encouraging schools to act earlier when students display signs of distress, victimization or threatening behavior.
Experts and school-safety advocates have long emphasized the importance of identifying warning signs before serious incidents occur. That does not mean bullying is a direct predictor of a school shooting, nor does it mean every bullied child or aggressive student poses a danger.
Still, a school environment where students can safely report threats, harassment and troubling behavior gives teachers and administrators more opportunities to intervene.
That makes the proposed observance potentially useful as part of a larger prevention framework.
The challenge is implementation.
A national awareness month cannot substitute for trained counselors, responsive teachers, clear reporting systems, effective child-protection mechanisms and meaningful communication between schools and families.
The measure also seeks to broaden responsibility beyond schools by encouraging local governments, civil society organizations, nongovernment groups and communities to participate.
That wider approach is particularly important as bullying increasingly moves online.
A child may leave the classroom at the end of the day only to encounter the same harassment on social media. Cyberbullying can therefore make prevention more complicated because the school is no longer the only environment where the problem occurs.
Dy said children should not only learn to defend themselves but also to speak up for classmates who are afraid to do so.
If properly implemented, the September observance could therefore serve two purposes: make bullying less socially acceptable and make schools more attentive to problems before they become crises.
It will not, by itself, prevent school shootings. But a culture of reporting, early intervention and student support could become one more layer in keeping schools safer.
ia/xf
