Bullying can cause damage to a victim’s emotional well-being, death being the worst consequence—a tragic outcome sometimes referred to as “bullycide.”
The elements of “bullying” under RA 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 law are:
(a) any severe or repeated use by one or more students;
(b) a written, verbal or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination;
(c) directed at another student;
(d) has the effect of actually causing or placing the latter in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to his property; creating a hostile environment at school for the other student; infringing on the rights of the other student at school; or materially and substantially disrupting the education process or the orderly operation of a school.
Some of the acts of bullying are the following:
a. Any unwanted physical contact between the bully and the victim like punching, pushing, shoving, kicking, slapping, tickling, headlocks, inflicting school pranks, teasing, fighting and the use of available objects as weapons;
b. Any act that causes damage to a victim’s psyche and/or emotional well-being;
c. 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 victim’s looks, clothes and body; and
d. Cyber-bullying or any bullying done through the use of technology or any electronic means.
While the country lacks a single standalone cyberbullying statute, multiple laws penalize online harassment, defamation, and digital abuse. These include Anti-Bullying Act (RA 10627), Cybercrime Prevention Act (RA 10175), Safe Spaces Act (RA 11313) and Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act (RA 9995).
In the case of Mother Goose Special School System Inc. v. Palaganas (GR 267331, January 20, 2025), the Supreme Court stressed that schools have a contractual obligation to ensure a safe learning environment, including protection of the students against bullying.
“Every parent who entrusts their child to a learning institution does so with the assurance that the school, owing to its obligation not only to provide but also to maintain a safe learning environment, will protect the child from harm or will promptly address similar incidents after its occurrence,” the SC said.
The SC held Mother Goose School civilly liable for negligence after a bullying incident led to the assault of a student during class.
Two students repeatedly punched a classmate inside a classroom while the teacher was away. The school dismissed the assault as mere “teasing” or “rough play” and took no meaningful action.
“No student can absorb the intricacies of physics or higher mathematics or explore the realm of the arts and other sciences when bullets are flying or grenades exploding in the air.”
The SC stressed that schools must maintain peace and order within their premises, and even outside campus during school activities. They may avoid liability only upon proof they exercised due diligence.”
In “John Denver Trending”, the Best Film in 2019 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, a 14-year-old farm boy’s life is suddenly upended when a video of him brutally attacking a classmate goes viral. He was branded as a devil overnight and eventually committed suicide by hanging.
The 2026 full-length finalist “Ganggang” directed by JL Burgos centers on three boys who bond to find a fighting spider to stand up against a school bully until their own search puts their friendship to a test.
Bullying is also the central theme in recent Netflix K-dramas “Teach You a Lesson” and “Agent Kim Reactivated.”
“Teach You a Lesson” follows a fictional government group called the Educational Rights Protection Bureau (ERPB) who is authorized by the government to use physical intervention and unconventional methods to discipline delinquent student bullies and reform the educational system.
Special inspectors step into out-of-control schools to fight severe bullying, including physical force and psychological pressure, when teachers and authorities are powerless.
In “Agent Kim Reactivated”, mild-mannered single father Mr. Kim (So Ji-sub) drops his submissive exterior and reactivates his elite black-ops spy skills after his teenage daughter, Min-ji, is brutally targeted and goes missing following a violent bullying incident involving her wealthy classmate, Hye-ri.
Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno filed H.B. 10038 or the Expanded Anti-Bullying Act, which seeks to expand the coverage of the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 to include higher education institutions and technical-vocational schools. It also covers acts committed by teaching and non-teaching personnel outside the scope of their official duties.
Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the Seafarers’ Division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 0908-8665786.
