ABSTRACT
The main thrust of this study was to determine the teachers’ awareness of child protection policy and the significance of effective implementation of anti-cyberbullying policy among selected public elementary schools in Los Baños, Laguna. Awareness Pamphlet in Bullying and Cyberbullying was the output of the study. This study followed the descriptive correlational method design. The target population and respondents for the research was defined as the selected 113 public elementary school teachers and 4 guidance counselors in the District of Los Baños. The schools were categorized as small, medium, large, and mega schools. A validated survey questionnaire instrument was used for the gathering of data.
Using the four-point Likert Scale and the simple mean, Goodman and Kruskal’s Gamma correlation, findings revealed that child protection policy and implementation of the anti-cyberbullying policy were highly correlated. Teachers’ Awareness in Child Protection Policy was High while Anti-Cyberbullying Policy Implementation was moderately implemented. Management Structure as to elements of Anti-Cyberbullying Policy was highly significant. There were no significant relationships in the implementation of the elements of the anti-cyberbullying as to education and training management structure, behavior protocols, communication guidelines, and reaction reporting. Results also discussed teachers’ anecdotes on cyberbullying to further expound the moderate implementation of anti-cyberbullying in the District of Los Baños. An awareness pamphlet in Child Protection Policy and Anti Cyberbullying Implementation was also proposed for the schools, teachers, and pupils to help them manage the different forms of bullying.
Keywords: Child Protection Policy, Implementation, Cyberbullying, Awareness, Anti-cyberbullying
INTRODUCTION
Cyberbullying can cause deep harm as it can quickly reach a wide audience. It can remain accessible online indefinitely, virtually ‘following’ its victims online for life. Online violence, cyberbullying, and digital harassment affect over 70 percent of young people globally, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Countless children continuously affecting and suffering from the impacts of bullying. In some worst-case scenarios, others had taken their own lives, as the final act to escapes from bullies.
The problem of bullying can be considered as a rampant incidence in school settings and deleting it from the system can be difficult. Thus, the Philippine government has devised ways on how to address this problem. That is through the implementation of the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013.
According to Greenspan (2013), for years, teachers, administrators, and all educators have been in the dark as to how to respond and discipline those students who have been abusing others via cyber-bullying. Despite the existence of these policies, the attitude of a teacher towards negative behavior of a student as well as the consistency in sections of a certain policy can also affect how this anti-bullying law is implemented properly.
Teachers' awareness of the Child Protection Policy will measure how they promote and provide remedial measures that will address violence, discrimination, abuse, and any forms of cruelty which may be detrimental to children's development.
In the District of Los Baños, cases of cyberbullying have been increasing yearly. The limited teacher-participants attending the seminars relating to Child protection policy and Cyberbullying programs lead to unawareness and inappropriate procedures in dealing with bullying. Having this in mind, the researcher sought to describe the importance of teachers' awareness on how to protect children against any forms of bullying. Identifying the causes and implementing the policy can provide a safe environment, creating and making learners good citizens today and in the future. To further understand unreported cases, this study also investigated different elements of the anti-cyberbullying policy in terms of education, management, communication guidelines, behavior protocols, and the processes in reporting.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This research utilized descriptive correlational studies. It also used a developed/adopted survey questionnaire based on Ms. Catherine Cuhanap’s research study entitled “Child Protection Policy: A Perceptual Study”. Likert scale was employed to administer, score, and assess the survey questionnaire. To indicate the level of awareness, and the level of implementation, a four (4) point scale was applied from four (4) being the highest and one (1) being the lowest. Respondents of the study were one hundred thirteen (113) public elementary school teachers and four (4) guidance counselors from four major public schools in the Los Baños District Division of Laguna during the academic year 2020-2021. A letter was sent to the Public Schools District Supervisor (PSDS) down to the School Heads/Principal. Sets of questionnaires were prepared and given to the teachers. To validate the questionnaire, the researcher asked for assistance from the research experts. When corrections and clarifications were integrated, questionnaires had undergone Cronbach Alpha to test their reliability. The statistical treatment applied through SPSS was the Four-point Likert Scale, Mean to describe the level of awareness on Child Protection Policy and Implementation of Anti cyberbullying Policy and Goodman; and Kruskal’s Gamma Correlation to measure the degree of the relationship between linearly related variables.
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