Dr. Camille Garcia, psychologist
MANILA, Philippines – Parents have a major role to play in the development of a child.
According to Dr. Camille Garcia, it is important for parents to talk about good behavior to their children, remind them to be kind to others and that ‘bullying’ is bad.
This is highly important especially for parents of a bully.
But Dr. Garcia emphasized that disciplining a child shouldn’t be harsh or done in force but in a calm manner.
“Ang physical abuse, hindi nagkaroon ng debriefing at hindi naintindihan kung bakit ganoon, it can lead to one possibility na siya rin maging abuser or (two) it can lead to depression,” Garcia said.
Dr. Garcia suggests that a child bully be guided by an expert, a therapist or a child psychologist, to help him change his behavior and make him understand the consequences of his bullying.
Parents, also, must not inflict harm on children the way they would feel that they are being bullied, according to Dr. Garcia.
“Once you make a permanent decision na saktan iyong bata tapos makikita mo na nagkasira- sira na iyong mukha, nagka- sugat sugat na’t lahat, sinong masisisi? Its’ a lifetime thing na you feel guilty about it and then eventually, ikaw na rin maapektuhan. Psychologically, ikaw iyong affected. Iyong bata affected din. Then the abuse can lead to another abuse sa susunod na henerasyon,”
A video of a junior high school student from Ateneo de Manila University bullying and assaulting his fellow student has gone viral on social media and has drawn the ire of netizens.
This prompted the Department of Education (DepEd) to remind schools to strictly implement the Child Protection Policy which strictly prohibits bullying in any form.
“We have a policy, a very, very clear policy on child protection and we go by the United Nations Declaration on the rights of the child. It’s not just physical but mental as well as electronic, cyber abuse of learners,” explained Education Secretary Leonor Briones.
R.A. 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 provides punishment for bullies as consequences of their actions. They can be charged criminally, according to the law, as their targets or the subject of bullying can avail for legal remedies.
Thus, the DepEd encourages active support of parents, students and teachers to report any incident of abuse or bullying in their schools.
Malacañang, meanwhile, urges proper authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and properly act on the bullying incident in Ateneo de Manila University.
“The school should investigate the incident and do something do about it. you can’t be allowing bullying inside the classroom or school. besides, there is a law against that,” Presidential Spokesperson and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo concluded. – Marje Pelayo (with reports from Aiko Miguel)
The post Parents are the first to teach a child that bullying is bad – Psychologist appeared first on UNTV News.