LA PRIMERA ESKWELA CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER INC.

Block 27 Lot 2 Phase 5 Constellation St. Garden Villas III

Brgy. Malusak, City of Sta. Rosa, Laguna
09982849620

CHILD PROTECTION COMMITTEE

As updated for School Year 2020-2021

I. Composition

Chairperson : ATTY. JOSEFINA R. AGUSTI

Directress

Vice-Chairperson : Class Adviser

Member : Faculty Representative
PTA Representative
Ex-officio (Barangay Representative)

II. Terms of Reference

a. Conduct awareness-raising programs with school stakeholders in preventing
and addressing bullying;
b. Ensure that the anti-bullying policy adopted by the school is implemented;
c. Monitor all cases or incidents related to bullying reported or referred by the
teacher, guidance counselor or coordinator or any person designated to handle
prevention and intervention measures mentioned by the preceding sections of
this Policy; and
d. Make the necessary referrals to appropriate agencies, offices or persons, as
may be required by the circumstances.

Prepared and submitted by:

ATTY. JOSEFINA S. RODRIGUEZ-AGUSTI

Directress
 SCHOOL PROTECTION POLICY
I. Foreword

LPE CDC Inc. gives premium value in a healthy and peaceful educational environment.
All members of the School community, which includes students, parents and guardians, and the
community members should be made aware of the negative effects that bullying can have on
victims and the School in general, and should work towards ensuring that students can work in
an environment without fear. The School will do whatever is reasonably necessary and possible
within its authority to eradicate bullying in all its forms. The School takes a strong stance against
bullying. It also takes strong participation in the protection of its learner from other forms of
child abuse.

I. Preliminary Provisions

Section 1. Legal Basis. This Policy is adopted in compliance with Republic Act No. 10627,
otherwise known as the “Anti-Bullying Act of 2013” and Deped Order No. 40, s. 2012.

Section 2. Scope and Coverage. This Policy applies to the Kindergarten and Pre-school programs
at La Primera Eskwela Child Development Center Inc. hereafter referred to as the “LPE CDC
Inc.”

Section 3. The following shall be the parties and/or stakeholders in bullying incidents:

a. Bully - refers to a student who commits any of the acts of bullying as defined in R.A. No.
10627, its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), and this Policy. This term also
includes a student who participates in any of the acts of bullying by supporting or aiding
the commission thereof.
b. Bystander - refers to any student who witnesses or has personal knowledge of any actual
or perceived acts or incidents of bullying or retaliation as defined by R.A. No. 10627, its
IRR, and this Policy. Bystanders include the silent majority of students who witness
bullying but are unable to do something because of fear; and those who try to stop
bullying by defending the victim or reporting the incident.
c. Bullied or Victim – refers to any student who experiences the acts of bullying or
retaliation as defined by R.A. No. 10627, its IRR, and this Policy. 4. Parent or Guardian -
refers to the parent or guardian, of either the bully or victim, or other students involved in
the bullying incident, on record with the School.
d. School Personnel - refers to all staff and employees of the School; regardless of rank or
status; whether classified as academic, academic-support, or non- academic; and whether
full-time or part-time; and whether probationary, contractual, or regular.
Section 4. Statement of Policy. The School as a matter of policy prohibits bullying in all its
forms, regardless of the means, place and time of its commission.

Section 5. Definition of Bullying. The School adheres to the definition of bullying including the
different forms, as provided in the IRR of R.A. No. 10627, which provides: “Bullying” refers to
any severe, or repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression,
or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another student that 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 another student at school; or materially and substantially disrupting the education
process or the orderly operation of a school; such as, but not limited to, 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 wellbeing;
c. Any slanderous statement or accusation that causes the victim undue emotional distress
like directing foul language or profanity at the target, namecalling, tormenting and
commenting negatively on victim’s looks, clothes and body;
d. Cyber- bullying” or any bullying done through the use of technology or any electronic
means. The term shall also include any conduct resulting to 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, or other
platforms or formats as defined in DepED Order No. 40, s. 2012.

Section 6. Other Forms of Bullying. The term “bullying” shall also include:

a. “Social bullying” – refers to any deliberate, repetitive and aggressive social behavior
intended to hurt others or to belittle another individual or group;
b. “Gender-based bullying” – refers to any act that humiliates or excludes a person on the
basis of perceived or actual sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI);
c. Retaliation against a student who reports bullying, who provides information during an
investigation of bullying, or who is a witness to or has reliable information about
bullying; and
d. All other forms of bullying analogous to those provided under the AntiBullying Law and
its IRR.

Section 7. Common Forms of Bullying. The common forms of bullying shall include, but is not
necessarily limited to, the following:

a. Calling names with the express purpose of humiliating, embarrassing a student, or

otherwise cause trouble.
 b. Rudeness and Intimidation. These may be done through unwanted physical acts but may
also be carried through non-verbal means. A mean look or stare is an example of a non-
verbal bullying.
c. Threats and extortion. Creating fear and extorting money, food or possessions from other
students. Threatening texts or messages in chat rooms and social media sites are included
in this form.
d. Malicious gossip and exclusion from the group. Circulating gossip or damaging stories
that tends to discriminate, exclude, and hate another student.

Section 8. Fair and equal treatment of bullying incidents. The School shall address each and
every bullying incident fairly and equally. All forms of bullying should be taken seriously and
dealt with appropriately.

Section 9. Situs of Bullying. The School has the authority to impose school discipline to its
students including this Policy. This authority of the School is not confined within the School
premises. The School particularly undertakes to prevent and address bullying committed at the
following:

a. On Campus. School Grounds

b. Off-Campus which covers: 1) properties immediately adjacent to School grounds
including places or establishments frequented by our students; 2) any other place where
school-sponsored or school-related activities, functions or programs are conducted;
c. On Cyberspace. Text messages, emails, chat rooms, and other social media and web sites
regardless of the web site administrator’s permission to use foul or explicit language or
content, or absence of any particular standard of use. III. Prevention Programs

Section 10. The School shall raise the awareness of the anti-social nature of bullying through
various programs; assemblies; activities; and integration in the curriculum as it may deem
appropriate. The School undertakes to develop anti-bullying programs that are comprehensive,
multi-faceted and shall involve all education stakeholders and personnel. The programs may
contain among others:

(1) School-wide initiatives centered on:

a. positive school climate and environment conducive to the attainment of
learning objectives, the development of healthy relationships and the
understanding of and respect for individual differences;
b. periodic assessment and monitoring of the nature, extent, and
perceptions of bullying behaviors and attitudes of students;
 c. periodic review and enhancement of the students’ and personnel’s
manual or code of conduct in relation to bullying;
d. conduct of activities for students, school personnel and service
providers on how to recognize and respond to bullying.
e. continuing personnel development to sustain bullying prevention
programs; and
f. coordination with Local Government Units, barangay (Barangay
Council for the Protection of Children) and other stakeholders.

(2) Classroom-level initiatives that focus on:

a. reinforcing school-wide rules pertaining to bullying;
b. building a positive sense of self and interpersonal relationships through
the development of self-awareness and self-management, interpersonal skills and
empathy, and responsible decision-making and problem-solving;
c. discussion of issues related to bullying, and strategies for responding to
and reporting of incidents of bullying;
d. teaching positive online behavior and safety and how to recognize and
report cyber-bullying; and e. providing an inclusive and caring learning
environment for students.

(3) Involving parents in bullying prevention activities, such as:

a. discussions on this Policy, emphasizing bullying prevention during
ParentsTeachers Association meetings and seminars; and
b. conducting or sponsoring education sessions for parents to learn, teach,
model, and reinforce positive social and emotional skills to their children.

(4) Monitoring students who are vulnerable to committing aggressive acts

or who are perpetrators of bullying, or who are possible targets or victims, for the
purpose of early intervention. This activity shall be conducted with utmost
confidentiality and respect for all parties concerned.

Section 11. Early Detection of Bullying. There are signs indicative that a student is being bullied
in school. A change in the student’s behavior or actions, change in the student’s routines, or the
absence or presence of other circumstances, may be a sign that the student is a victim of
bullying. The teacher, parents or guardian shall check and report to School authorities these
changes should they become manifest. These changes may include the following:

a. Feeling sick in the morning;

b. Unwillingness to go to school and leave home;
c. Unwillingness to be left alone in the School;
 d. Crying to sleep at night or has nightmares;
e. Bedwetting;
f. Doing poorly in class or school work;
g. Coming home with torn clothes or damaged belongings;
h. Has possessions missing;
i. Has unexplained cuts and bruises;
j. Being frightened to say what is wrong;
k. Being anxious or lacking in self-confidence; and
l. Attempting or threatening self-harm.

III. Intervention Programs

Section 12. The School shall develop intervention programs to promote the continuity of
comprehensive anti-bullying policies. Intervention refers to a series of activities which are
designed to address the following:

a. issues that influence the student to commit bullying;

b. factors that make a student a target of bullying; and
c. effects of bullying.

Section 13. Forms of Intervention. Interventions may include programs such as counseling, life
skills training, education, and other activities that will enhance the psychological, emotional and
psycho-social well-being of both the victim and the bully. Such programs may:

a. involve activities that will address acts of bullying;

b. emphasize formative and corrective measures rather than punishment;
c. conform to principles of child protection and positive and non-violent discipline;
d. help the victim, the bully, and the bystanders understand the bullying incident and its
negative consequences; and
e. provide opportunities to practice pro-social behavior.

Section 14. The School shall develop intervention strategies involving all parties, such as bullies,
victims, bystanders, parents, school personnel, service providers and all other persons who may
be affected by the bullying incident.

V. Responsibilities in Bullying Incidents

Section 15. The following are the responsibilities of stakeholders in bullying incidents:

a. Bully The “Bully” shall:

 1. Comply with the intervention and prevention programs of the school;
2. Submit to due process of the school as part of disciplinary action whenever
necessary.
b. Bullied or Victim The Bullied or Victim shall:
1. Avoid retaliation; and
2. Report his/her experience to the teacher, or other persons or school authorities;

c. Bystander The bystander shall:

1. Promptly report cases of bullying, that which he or she witnessed or has personal
knowledge of, to the teacher, or any person or school authorities;
2. Not to join the bullying;
3. Secure the safety of the victim whenever possible without causing harm to
himself or herself.
d. School The School through teachers and other school personnel shall:
1. Implement the provisions of this Policy;
2. Provide all students and their parents or guardians a copy of this Police
3. This policy shall likewise be included in the School’s student and/or employee
handbook and shall be conspicuously posted on the School walls and website;
4. Educate students on the dynamics of bullying, the anti-bullying policies of the
school as well as the mechanisms for reporting of acts of bullying or retaliation;
5. Educate parents and guardians about the dynamics of bullying, the child
protection or anti-bullying policy of the school and how parents and guardians can
provide support and reinforce this Policy at home;
6. Devise prevention, intervention, protective and remedial measures to address
bullying;
7. Conduct the capacity building activities for guidance counselors/teachers and the
members of the Child Protection Committee;
8. Ensure effective implementation of the anti-bullying policy and monitor
compliance therewith; h. Ensure the safety of the victim of bullying, the bully,
and the bystander and determine the students’ needs for protection;
9. Ensure that the rights of the victim, the bully, and the bystander are protected and
upheld during the conduct of the investigation;
10. Maintain a record or statistics of incidents of bullying and retaliation;
11. Coordinate with appropriate offices and other agencies or instrumentalities for
appropriate assistance and intervention, as required by the circumstances.

e. Teachers and Other School Personnel Teachers and other School personnel shall:
1. Participate and cooperate in all prevention, intervention, and other measures
related to bullying by the School;
2. Report incidents of bullying;
 3. Update himself/herself on detection and proper handling of bullying incidents;
4. Be objective and handle incidents with due consideration of confidentiality and
tender age of students involved;
5. Coordinate closely with the Child Protection Committee of the school; and
6. Observe due diligence in the prevention of bullying cases during classes or other
student activities he/she is directly in charge of.

f. Students in General Students shall:

1. Participate and cooperate in all prevention, intervention and other measures
related to bullying implemented by the School;
2. Avoid or refrain from any act of bullying;
3. Intervene to protect the victim, unless it will jeopardize his safety and security;
and
4. Report to school authorities any incident of bullying.

g. Parents shall:
1. Participate in bullying prevention activities of the school which includes:
i. Education on relevant policies;
ii. Sharing of best practices on how to reinforce positive social and emotional
skills to the children.
iii. Cooperate with the school authorities in bullying incidents involving their
child/children; and
iv. Not to take matters into their own hands in resolving bullying incidents.

VI. The Anti-Bullying Committee

Section 16. The Anti-Bullying Committee. The School’s existing Child Protection Committee
(CPC) shall also be designated as the School’s Anti-Bullying Committee as required under
DepEd Order No. 40, series of 2012.

Section 17. Composition. The Committee shall be composed of the following:

Chairperson : Directress

Vice-Chairperson : Class Adviser

Member : Faculty Representative
PTA Representative
Ex-officio (Barangay Representative
Section 18. Functions. The Anti-Bullying Committee shall perform the following tasks:

a. Conduct awareness-raising programs with school stakeholders in preventing and

addressing bullying;
b. Ensure that the anti-bullying policy adopted by the school is implemented;
c. Monitor all cases or incidents related to bullying reported or referred by the teacher,
guidance counselor or coordinator or any person designated to handle prevention and
intervention measures mentioned by the preceding sections of this Policy; and
d. Make the necessary referrals to appropriate agencies, offices or persons, as may be
required by the circumstances.

VII. Handling Bullying Incidents in the School

Section 19. Exclusive Jurisdiction. Complaints of bullying and other acts under this Policy shall
be within the exclusive jurisdiction of this School or jointly by Schools whenever the incident
involves students from different schools. Bullying incidents shall not be brought for amicable
settlement before the Barangay, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations. Complaints for
acts covered by other laws shall be referred to the appropriate authorities.

Section 20. Effect of Institution of Criminal Action. The filing of criminal complaint by either or
both the bully and the bullied before the law enforcement agencies, prosecutor’s office, or courts
of law shall not operate to divest this School of its authority to conduct its own investigation, fact
finding, and/or disciplinary proceeding on the students involved.

Section 21. Immediate Responses. The victim or anyone who witnesses or has personal
knowledge of a bullying incident or retaliation shall immediately call the attention of any school
personnel. The school personnel who was notified of a bullying incident or retaliation shall
intervene, by: a. Stopping the bullying or retaliation immediately; b. Separating the students
involved; c. Removing the victim or, in appropriate cases, the bully or offending student, from
the site; d. Ensuring the victim’s safety, by: 1. Determining and addressing the victim’s
immediate safety needs; and 2. Ensuring medical attention, if needed, and securing a medical
certificate, in cases of physical injury. e. Bringing the bully to the School Authority

Section 22. Reporting the Bullying Incident or Retaliation

a. A victim or a bystander, or a school personnel who receives information of a bullying

incident or retaliation, or any person, who witnesses or has personal knowledge of any
 incident of bullying or retaliation, shall report the same to the teacher in charge, or school
authorities who shall immediately report the matter to the Directress.
b. The School shall inform the parents or guardian of the victim and the bully about the
incident.
c. If an incident of bullying or retaliation involves students from another school during a
school authorized or school-sponsored activity on or off-campus, this School shall
promptly notify the appropriate administrator or school head of the other school so that
appropriate action may be taken.
d. Reports of incidents of bullying or retaliation initiated by persons who prefer anonymity
shall be entertained, and the person who reported the incident shall be afforded protection
from possible retaliation; provided, however, that no disciplinary administrative action
shall be taken against an alleged bully or offending student solely on the basis of an
anonymous report and without any other evidence.
e. Teachers shall make sure that no bullying incident should be kept unreported or
unnoticed. For this purpose, a Record of Bullying Incidents Form is designed and
developed where teachers in charge may keep track of bullying incidents or indications in
the classroom or off-campus activities. The same shall be kept in strictest confidence in a
central file with the Guidance Office.

Section 23. Fact-Finding and Documentation The Office of the Directress shall:

a. Separately interview in private the bully or offending student and the victim.
b. Determine the levels of threats and develop intervention strategies. If the bullying
incident or retaliation or the situation requires immediate attention or intervention, or the
level of threat is high, appropriate action shall be taken by the school within twentyfour
hours (24) from the time of the incident.
c. Inform the victim and the parents or guardian of the steps to be taken to prevent any
further acts of bullying or retaliation; and
d. Make appropriate recommendations to the Child Protection Committee on proper
interventions, referrals and monitoring.

Section 24. Referral to Experts Outside of the School. The School may, upon evaluation, refer
the victim and the bully to trained professionals outside the school, such as social workers,
guidance counselors, psychologists, or child protection specialists, for further assessment and
appropriate intervention measures, as may be necessary. The School also undertakes to notify the
Women and Children’s Protection Desk (WPCD) of the local Philippine National Police, in
appropriate cases involving the bully or offending student.
VIII. Disciplinary Measures

Section 25. Where students resist or refuse to respond to intervention or preventative strategies to
address bullying, the School will resort to stringent actions to deal with persistent and violent
bullying. Disciplinary actions may or may not be resorted to by the School depending on the
circumstances of each case with due consideration to the age of the students or pupils involved.

Section. 26. Due Process A. Bullying cases may be initiated either through: 1) a Complaint; or 2)
a motu proprio Charge from the Office of the Directress on the basis of a report of the teacher,
school personnel or bystanders. B. The Complaint should be duly executed by: (1) the
complaining student with the assistance of his or her parents; (2) or solely by the parents on the
basis of their child’s statements. C. In both instances, the Complaint must be duly sworn to by
the executing student and/or parent stating clearly how the act/s of bullying was/were committed
and other attendant circumstances. The complaining party may attach sworn statements of
witnesses and other proofs to substantiate the Complaint. D. The Complaint or Charge for
Bullying shall be filed with the Office of the Directress E. The Office of the Directress shall
furnish the parents of the respondent student/s a copy of the Complaint or Charge and direct the
student/s concerned with the assistance of the parents to file a Sworn Answer within a period of
forty-eight (48) hours or within a reasonable period from receipt of the Complaint or Charge as
may be allowed under the circumstances. F. Upon receipt of the Sworn Answer, the Office of
Student Affairs (OSA)/Prefect of Discipline/Guidance Office may schedule a conference with
the Complainant and/or the Respondent separately to clarify the allegations in the Complaint and
the Sworn Answer. The Office of the Directress may also interview witnesses, bystanders, and
others who may have knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Prepared and submitted by:

ATTY. JOSEFINA S. RODRIGUEZ-AGUSTI

Directress