Division of Lapu-Lapu City

District 8

BABAG 1 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

ANTI- BULLYING AND CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

Babag 1 Elementary School fully recognizes its responsibilities for child protection.

Our policy applies to all working individuals in the school. There are four main elements to
our policy:

 Raising awareness of child protection issues and equipping students with the skills
needed to keep them safe.
 Developing and then implementing procedures for identifying and reporting cases, or
suspected cases, of abuse.
 Supporting students who have been abused in accordance with his/her agreed child
protection plan.
 Establishing a safe environment in which students can learn and develop their full
potentials

We recognize these elements because of the day- to- day contact with pupils. School staffs
are then well- placed to observe the outward signs of abuse. The school will therefore:

 Establish and maintain an environment where pupils feel secure in which they are
encouraged to talk and are listened to.
 Ensure pupils know that there are adults in the school whom they can approach if
they are worried.
 Ensure we have committees responsible for child protection.

1. Preliminary Provisions

Section 1. Legal Basis. This policy is adopted in compliance with DepEd Order no. 40s. 2012
the “DEPED CHILD PROTECTION POLICY”.

Section 2. Scope and Coverage. This policy applies to the Elementary School Programs at
Babag 1 Elementary School, hereafter referred to as “School”

Section 3. Definition of Terms

1. "Child" - refers to any 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; (RA 7610). For
purposes of this Department Order, the term also includes pupils or students who may be
eighteen (18) years of age or older but are in school.

2. "Children in School" - refers to bona fide pupils, students or learners who are enrolled in the
basic education system, whether regular, irregular, transferee or repeater, including those who
have been temporarily out of school, who are in the school or learning centers premises or
participating in school-sanctioned activities.

3.  "Pupil, Student or Learner" - means a child who regularly attends classes in any level of the
basic education system, under the supervision and tutelage of a teacher or facilitator. D.
"School Personnel" - means the persons, singly or collectively, working in a public or private
school. They are classified as follows: a. "School Head" refers to the chief executive officer or
administrator of a public or private school or learning center.

4. "Other School Officials" include other school officers, including teachers, who are occupying
supervisory positions or positions of responsibility, and are involved in policy formulation or
implementation in a school.
5. "Academic Personnel" includes all school personnel who are formally engaged in actual
teaching service or in research assignments, either on a full-time or a part-time basis, as well as
those who possess certain prescribed academic functions directly supportive of teaching, such
as registrars, librarians, guidance counsellors, researchers, and other similar persons. They
may include school officials who are responsible for academic matters, and other school
officials.

6. "Child Protection" - refers to programs, services, procedures and structures that are intended
to prevent and respond to abuse, neglect, exploitation, discrimination and violence.

7. "Parents" - refers to biological parents, stepparents, adoptive parents and the common-law
spouse or partner of the parent;
8. "Guardians or Custodians" - refers to legal guardians, foster parents, and other persons,
including relatives or even non-relatives, who have physical custody of the child H. "School
Visitor or Guest" - refers to any person who visits the school and has any official business with
the school, and any person who does not have any official business but is found within the
premises of the school. This may include those who are within the school premises for certain
reasons, e.g. student teachers, catechists, service providers, suppliers, bidders, parents and
guardians of other children.

9. "Child Abuse"- refers to the maltreatment of a child, whether habitual or not, which includes
any of the following: a. psychological or physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse and
emotional maltreatment; b. any act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or demeans
the intrinsic worth and dignity of a child as a human being; c. unreasonable deprivation of the
child's basic needs for survival, such as food and shelter; or d. failure to immediately give
medical treatment to an injured child resulting in serious impairment of his or her growth and
development or in the child's permanent incapacity or death (Sec. 3 [b],RA7610).

10.  "Discrimination against children" - refers to an act of exclusion, distinction, restriction or

preference which is based on any ground such as age, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation and
gender identity, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property,
birth, being infected or affected by Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), being pregnant, being a child in conflict with the law, being a child
with disability or other status or condition, and which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or
impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by all persons, on an equal footing, of all rights
and freedoms.

11. "Child exploitation" - refers to the use of children for someone else's advantage, gratification
or profit often resulting in an unjust, cruel and harmful treatment of the child. These activities
disrupt the child's normal physical or mental health, education, moral or social emotional
development. It covers situations of manipulation, misuse, abuse, victimization, oppression or ill-
treatment.

12. "Violence against children committed in schools" – refers to a single act or a series of acts
committed by school administrators, academic and non-academic personnel against a child,
which result in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological harm or suffering, or other
abuses including threats of such acts, battery, assault, coercion, harassment or arbitrary
deprivation of liberty. It includes, but is not limited to, the following acts: 1. Physical violence
refers to acts that inflict bodily or physical harm. It includes assigning children to perform tasks
which are hazardous to their physical well-being.

Section 4. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Develop a policy and guidelines for the prevention of violence against children in schools and
make these available to all.

2. .Conduct an information dissemination and campaign on violence prevention programs for

children and research- based best practices for teachers, which are intended to promote new
techniques, methodologies and research related to teaching, classroom management, child
development, positive and non-violent discipline.

3. Apply positive and non-violent discipline, Formulate and implement guidelines and
procedures to emphasize the role of all stakeholders and other persons in the prevention and
reporting of cases of bullying,

4. Provide conflict resolution or peer mediation, including referral to appropriate service

providers, if needed;
5. Organize and conduct the capacity building activities for members of the Child Protection
Committee and Guidance Counsellors/Teachers; including, but not limited to the identification of
students who may be suffering from significant harm based on any physical, emotional or
behavioural signs

6. Develop strategies to address the risk factors that contribute to the commission of acts of
abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, and bullying

7. Consolidate the reports on incidents and cases in school.

Section 5. PROHIBITED ACTS

1. Bullying 

2. Corporal Punishment

3. Discrimination

4. Exploitation

5. Violence

6. Abuse

7. Any analogous or similar act

Section 6.PREVENTIVE MEASURES

1.Capacity Building of School Officials, Personnel, Parents and Students All public and private
elementary and secondary schools shall build the capacities of school personnel, pupils,
students and learners, parents and guardians to understand and deal with child abuse,
exploitation, violence and discrimination cases, bullying and peer violence by conducting
sessions, trainings and seminars on positive peer relationships and enhancement of social and
emotional competence.

2. Capacity-building programs for school administrators, teachers and non-academic personnel

focused on children's rights, child development and positive and nonviolent approaches in
teaching and classroom management, to enable them to incorporate positive discipline
messages in parent-teacher conferences and family counselling, and integrate messages on
children's rights and corporal punishment in classroom discussions;

3. Encouraging and supporting the formation and initiatives of support groups among teaching
and non-teaching staff, and parents and caregivers;

4. 4. Implementing specific parenting orientation sessions with parents and caregivers and other
activities;

5. Implementing school activities or events that raise awareness on children's rights, corporal
punishment and positive discipline, fostering the active involvement of and providing venues for
bringing together parents, families and children;

6. Encouraging and supporting student-led initiatives to raise awareness on children's

rights, corporal punishment and positive discipline; and

7. Setting up child-friendly mechanisms for obtaining children's views and participation

in the formulation, monitoring and assessment of school rules and policies related to
student discipline.

Section 7 PROTECTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES 

1 A complaint for bullying or peer abuse shall be acted upon by the School Head
following the procedures herein set forth: a. Bullying - Upon the filing of a complaint or
upon notice by a school personnel or official of any bullying or peer abuse incident, the
same shall be immediately reported to the School Head, who shall inform the parents or
guardian of the victim and the offending child, in a meeting called for the purpose. The
victim and the offending child shall be referred to the Child Protection Committee for
counseling and other interventions. The penalty of reprimand, if warranted, may be
imposed by the School Head in the presence of the parents or guardians.

2. If bullying is committed for a second or subsequent time, after the offending child has
received counseling or other interventions, the penalty of suspension for not more than
one (1) week may be imposed by the School Head, if such is warranted. During the
period of suspension, the offending child and the parents or guardians may be required
to attend further seminars and counseling. The School Head shall likewise ensure that
the appropriate interventions, counseling and other services, are provided for the victim
or victims of bullying.

3. Bullying that results in serious physical injuries or death – If the bullying or peer
abuse resulted in serious physical injuries or death, whenever appropriate, the case
shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9344 and its
Implementing Rules and Regulations. 

4.  Procedure in all cases where the imposable penalty on the offending child is
suspension, exclusion or expulsion, the following minimum requirements of due process
shall be complied with:
1) The child and the parents or guardians must be informed of the complaint in
writing;
2. The child shall be given the opportunity to answer the complaint in writing, with
the assistance of the parents or guardian;
3) The decision of the school head must be in writing, stating the facts and the
reasons for the decision;
4) The decision of the school head may be appealed, as provided in existing
rules of the Department.

5. Implementation of No Punitive Measures. Depending on the gravity of the bullying

committed by any pupil, student or learner, the school may impose other non-punitive
measures, in lieu of punitive measures, in accordance with the principles of Positive and
Nonviolent Discipline.

6. Other acts of violence or abuse. Other serious acts of violence or abuse committed
by a pupil, student or learner upon another pupil, student or learner of the same school,
shall, and whenever appropriate, be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of
Republic Act 9344 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.

Section 8. RULES AND PROCEDURES IN HANDLING CHILD ABUSE,

EXPLOITATION, VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION CASES

1.  Investigation and Reporting. The conduct of investigation and reporting of cases of

child abuse, exploitation, violence or discrimination, shall be done expeditiously, as
herein provided.
A. The School Head or the Schools Division Superintendent, upon receipt of the
Complaint, shall forward the same, within forty-eight (48) hours, to the Disciplining
Authority, who shall then issue an Order for the conduct of a fact-finding investigation,
not later than seventy-two (72) hours from submission.  These periods shall be strictly
observed, except when justified by circumstances beyond their control; Provided, that, if
the person complained of is a nonteaching personnel, the Schools Division
Superintendent shall cause the conduct of a fact finding investigation within the same
period.
B. If a complaint is not sufficient in form, the concerned School Head, Schools
Division Superintendent, or Disciplining Authority shall immediately inform the
complainant of the requirements of a formal complaint. Upon the filing of the formal
complaint, the same shall be acted upon pursuant to the preceding paragraphs.
C. The conduct of a fact-finding investigation shall be in accordance with the
Revised Rules of Procedure of the Department of Education in Administrative Cases.
Pending investigation, upon referral of the School Principal or Guidance
Counselor/Teacher, the Local Social Welfare and Development Officer (LSWDO) of the
concerned local government unit shall assess the child and provide psycho- social
intervention to help the child victim recover from whatever trauma he or she has
experienced as a result of the abuse. The offender shall likewise undergo psycho-social
intervention, if such is warranted.

Section 9. EFFECTIVITY

This policy shall take effect immediately upon the date of its approval and shall
not be modified, altered, amended or repeated unless otherwise resolved through a
valid resolution of the Child Protection Policy Committee.

Noted: MELODINA T. WAHING Prepared by: GUILLERMA C. DEGAMO

Principal Guidance Coordinator