STAND UP! BLOCK THE BULLY!

JM Angeles 12/21/13 Persuasive Speech Violence! We are living in a world where some people think that violence is the only reason to solve every problem. Violence is violence. If people keep this violence around us, its not going to get better. Violence has been in this world for centuries now and for the same causes - like to gain power of authority. Kids in schools feel superior to others by calling other kids horrible names and making fun of them. Most people think of television shows where the little nerdy kid gets his lunch money taken by the big not-so-smart tough guy that everyone fears. Thats not reality though, reality is children and teenagers getting beat up every day, not wanting to go to school because theyre sc ared of what might happen to them today. Men hit women so they can earn their respect back. The point is that violence wont make you a better person, it will make you a monster and nobody likes a monster. There are many different kinds of violence. One of them is called bullying. Bullying is when someone says mean things to someone in person or in a social network. Most of the time, it happens in the social network. Because kids think that by making fun of someone in a social network area, they wont get in trouble by an adult. This is one of the worst violence in the world. [pause for 5 seconds and look through the audience from left to right]

Ten. Sixty-Two. Seven.

Bullying is a serious problem in our society today. Victims are not the problem, the bullies are! So why do bullies bully? There are a lot of reasons why some people bully. They may see it as a way of being popular, or making themselves look tough and in charge. Some people bully to get attention, or to make other people afraid of them. Others might be jealous of the person they are bullying. They may be being bullied themselves. Some bullies dont understand how damaging their behaviour is and how it makes the person being bullied feel. Bullies just like the feeling of being powerful and in control. Sometimes, its hard to work out why bullies pick on some people but one thing is for sure, its not the fault of the person who is being picked on. Bullies generally go for people who are different in a way it could be physical, mentally, religion culture or sexuality. Anyone who seems like an easy target. People who are smaller or younger than the bully. People who are sensitive, who may cry or get upset. Someone who does not have many friends or maybe new in the school or in the community, perhaps. A bully can also be an older person, or someone in a position of power such as ..a teacher, a parent, or a boss.

Ten. Sixty-Two. Seven.

In our country, the Philippines, the Department of Education has been very stern in implementing the Child Protection Policy - Deped Order No. 4 Series of 2012. Which it has three solid basis; the Article XV, Section 3 (2), 1987 Constitution, the Article XIV, Section 3 (2), 1987 Constitution, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Deped Order No. 4 Series of 2012 mainly tackles about the policy and guidelines on protecting children in school from the following; abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, bullying and other forms of abuse. And according to the news I have read in the Manila Bulletin Website posted last October 30, 2013 - a newer version of the Child Protection Policy will be out on January 2014 as part of its efforts to ensure that children are protected from all forms of violence that may be inflicted by adults, persons of authority, and fellow students. DepEd Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs Alberto Muyot said that the department is currently updating its landmark to incorporate necessary requirements posted by the recent signing of the Anti-Bullying Law and Amended Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act. DepEd has 90 days to come up with the Implementing Rules and Regulations for the Anti-Bullying Law which was signed by President Benigno Aquino III last September.

Ten. Sixty-Two. Seven.

Our countrys Chief Executive President Benigno S. Aquino III has signed into a law on September 12 requiring all elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies aimed at preventing acts of bullying in their institutions throughout the country. The Republic Act No. 10627 otherwise known as the "Anti-Bullying Act of 2013." The law defines the acts of Bullying as 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.

Any unwanted physical contact between the bully and the victim like punching, pushing, shoving, kicking, slapping, tickling, headlocks, and inflicting school pranks, teasing, fighting and the use of available objects as weapons are prohibited. The law prohibits cyber-bullying or any bullying done through the use of technology or any electronic means. Bullying can come in many forms like taunting a classmate either orally or through text messages or by any other electronic means; employing unwelcome physical acts such as pushing, shoving, punching, headlocks, kicking, tickling and using any object as a weapon to cause harm. Bullying can also be committed by the uttering of slanderous statements or accusations that causes emotional stress. Bullying can also be any other act that causes damage to the psyche or emotional well-being of a person. All elementary and high schools would be required to adopt anti-bullying policies and sanctions, which would apply to prohibited acts committed within their campuses, at school-sponsored or schoolrelated activities, whether done on or off school grounds, school bus stops, school buses, or other properties owned, leased or used by the school. The law prohibits bullying at a location, activity, function or program that is not school-related and through the use of technology or an electronic devise that is not owned, leased or used by a school if the act or acts in question create a hostile environment at school for the victim, infringe on the rights of the victim at school, or materially and substantially disrupt the education process or the orderly operation of a school. The law prohibits the retaliation against a person who reports bullying, who provides information during an investigation of bullying, or who is a witness to or has a reliable information about bullying. In many cases of bullying, especially those that are committed continuously over time, while the act may not visibly result in the immediate injury of the victim, the perpetrators and the school may still be liable if no action was taken by the school authorities. In many cases the victim normally still goes home yet, when he can no longer take the bullying, he either falls into depression and can no longer function normally, or takes his own life. Hundreds, if not thousands, of victims of bullying have committed suicide. Bullying is committed within the school ground itself, places rented by the school for an activity, in its vicinity or periphery, inside a school bus or in bus stops or outside the school through electronic means such s text messages or tweets, etc. In addition to the disciplinary sanctions imposed upon a perpetrator of bullying or retaliation, a bully would be required to undergo rehabilitation program administered by the school. The parents of the bully shall be encouraged by the institution to join the rehabilitation program. Schools are required to maintain a public record of bullies and their offenses. When a school fails to do what is mandated by the Anti-bullying Law, the Department of Education may suspend its authority to operate or be subjected to other sanctions. The responsibility of schools, teachers and administrators is immense. Since they exercise special parental authority over children while they are in their custody, they could be held civilly liable for damages caused by their students, in accordance with the Family Code, and may even be suspended from operating their schools under the Anti-bullying Law. There are over thousands and thousands of pupils and students like me, like you, like us, who are suffering from a day to day bullying from their schools. There are over a hundred of me and you, Filipino students out there hiding from the pain. Afraid. Alone. Crying. In pain. There are over a hundred who are struggling from waking up in the morning which should be thought as a brand new day but to them, its not. There are over a hundred of like us out there that are experiencing such bullying acts that we have not known of. Well, it should be stopped now or it will be too late. Have you heard of the words stand and up or together heard as STAND UP? Have you done it in your life now? Did you stand up for yourself? Or, did you do it for someone? Somewhere? [take a 5 second pause.] May I request everybody to STAND UP. Everyone, please STAND UP.

Thank you!