“Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as hard duty..”-ALBERT EINSTEIN

Bullying in Schools: Beyond Policies Toward Truly Safe Classrooms

Despite laws meant to protect them, too many students still face bullying every day. In the Philippines, over a third of students say they’ve been bullied in some form—online, in the halls, even right in front of teachers (Sansait et al., 2023). For kids like Ana, the constant teasing and insults about her grades weren’t just hurtful. They made her afraid to go to school at all. Over time, her grades dropped by 20%, and she felt completely alone.


Understanding the Problem


Bullying isn’t just playground fights. It’s repeated, targeted behavior that creates fear and isolation—and it leaves real scars. Research shows bullied kids are more than twice as likely to think about harming themselves (Rettew & Pawlowski, 2016). Often, they stop paying attention in class, skip school to avoid their tormentors, and see their grades drop dramatically (Al-Raqqad et al., 2017).

In Turkey, nearly every student surveyed said they’d experienced bullying—physical, emotional, or verbal (TÜRKMEN et al., 2013). And these days, the cruelty doesn’t stop at the school gate. Cyberbullying follows kids home, on their phones and screens, day and night (TÜRKMEN et al., 2013).

What Can We Do?

  1. Policies That Actually Work
    Too often, anti-bullying rules just sit in dusty manuals. They need to be clear, up-to-date, and actually discussed in class meetings, parent gatherings, and assemblies. Rules should spell out exactly what bullying looks like, including cyberbullying and exclusion (Nikolaou, 2017).

When kids know where to go for help—and believe adults will listen—they’re more likely to speak up. In South Korea, schools that introduced anonymous reporting apps saw a 30% jump in reported bullying cases (Eleni, 2013). Here at home, that’s still a struggle. Many Filipino students stay silent out of fear or hopelessness (Sansait et al., 2023).

  1. Support Teachers, Teach Kids Empathy
    Teachers are often the first line of defense, but they don’t always feel confident stepping in. Training them to spot early signs of bullying, de-escalate situations, and support victims can make a huge difference (Allen, 2010).

But prevention can’t stop with teachers. In Finland, the KiVa program uses games and role-playing to teach students how to speak up and support each other. It helped cut bullying by nearly 40% (Kowalski et al., 2014). When kindness and respect become part of everyday lessons, school starts to feel safer for everyone.

  1. Get Everyone Involved
    Parents often dismiss bullying as “just kids being kids.” But teachers in Jordan reported that bullying leads to fear, skipped classes, and plummeting grades (Al-Raqqad et al., 2017). Workshops and talks can help parents spot the signs early—and show kids they’re not alone.

Schools that bring in counselors and run peer support groups often see bullying decline. In Australia, schools that combined these approaches saw nearly a 20% drop in reported incidents (Livingstone et al., 2019). Bullying isn’t just a school problem. It takes a village to stop it.

The Hard Part
Change isn’t easy. Some schools don’t have enough counselors. Others can’t afford fancy apps or tech tools. In many places, bullying is still brushed off as normal. But ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away. Around the world, researchers agree: kids who are bullied—or who bully others—often see their grades and mental health suffer (TÜRKMEN et al., 2013; Al-Raqqad et al., 2017).

Conclusion
Bullying isn’t some rite of passage. It’s a serious problem that steals kids’ confidence, education, and hope. If we want schools to be places where children thrive, we can’t just write policies—we have to live them every day, in every classroom and conversation. Because every student, like Ana, deserves to walk into school without fear.

References

  • Allen, K. P. (2010). Classroom Management, Bullying, and Teacher Practices. The Professional Educator, 34(1), 1–15.

  • Al-Raqqad, H., Al-Bourini, E., Al Talahin, F., Michael, R., & Aranki, E. (2017). The Impact of School Bullying on Students' Academic Achievement from Teachers’ Point of View.

  • Eleni, M. (2013). Implementing effective prevention and intervention strategies. Journal of School Safety, 12(3), 45–52.

  • Kowalski, R. M., et al. (2014). Bullying in the Digital Age: A Meta-Analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 1073–1106.

  • Nikolaou, C. (2017). Creating Safe Environments Through Policy. International Journal of Educational Research, 45, 23–31.

  • Rettew, D. C., & Pawlowski, S. (2016). Bullying and Long-Term Mental Health. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, 25(2), 235–242.

  • Sansait, J. R. M., et al. (2023). School Type and Bullying Prevention in the Philippines. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 8(1), 100530.

  • TÜRKMEN, N., et al. (2013). Bullying among High School Students. MAEDICA – a Journal of Clinical Medicine, 8(2), 143–152.

  • Livingstone, S., et al. (2019). Addressing Bullying through Mental Health and Restorative Approaches. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 60(4), 417–431.

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