House Bill seeks to penalize individuals who are proven to be caught in an act of bullying in schools, workplaces, and on the Internet.
PBA party-list Margarita Nograles filed House Bill No. 2886 which penalizes people proven to have been bullying people in school, work, or on the Internet.
Under the bill, individuals aged 15 to 18 who acted without discernment based on an assessment would be subjected to intervention programs provided by either the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or the local government bodies concerned. But those over 18 years old will be imprisoned for a maximum of six years.
All persons proven to be engaging in bullying, regardless of age or discernment, may face civil liability, including a penalty ranging from P50,000 to P100,000, the Inquirer reported.
“Having established and equipped with national helpline through the passing of the Republic Act No. 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act of September 12, 2013, the prevalence of bullying in the country has not gotten down drastically. In fact, at least 6 out of 10 students are being bullied, which is nearly 3 times higher compared to developed countries,” Nograles said in her explanatory note.
“According to the Unicef, the latest data in the country show that cyberviolence affects almost half of children aged 13-17. This violence experienced by Filipino children in the form of verbal abuse and most of them are in the form of sexual messages and we all know that these can create long lasting emotional and psychological scars in every child who experienced being bullied,” she added.
The following acts are considered to be bullying under Nograles’ bill:
· Any unwanted physical contact between the bully and the victim like punching, pushing, shoving, kicking, slapping, tickling, headlocks, inflicting excessive pranks, teasing, fighting, and the use of available objects as weapons
· Any act that causes damage to a victim’s psychological 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 the victim’s looks, clothes, and body;
· Cyber-bullying is done through any conduct resulting in harassment, intimidation, or humiliation, through the use of other forms of technology, such as but not limited to texting, email, instant messaging, chatting, internet, social media, online games, other platforms or formats;
· Gender-based bullying – any act that humiliates or excludes a person based on perceived or actual sexual orientation and gender identity. Furthermore, any act of retaliation against a person who reports bullying, who provides information during an investigation of bullying, or who is a witness to or has reliable information about bullying, is likewise prohibited
· Social Bullying — any deliberate, repetitive, and aggressive social behavior intended to hurt others or to belittle another individual or group
Bullying is and will never be right. It causes physical and emotional trauma to those who have been victims of bullying and it is what made them so detached to the world.
“This bill seeks to stop bullying by placing ‘Hammurabi’s Code’ on the law by attaching penalties and huge fines and create a more peaceful and tranquil environment for our children and human beings in general,” Nograles said.
Tags: #Bullying, #Penalize, #VictimsOfBullying