CHILDREN’S LAWS

Laws Protecting Children and Their Rights

1. Special Protection of Children (RA 7610, Special

Protection of Children Against Abuse,
Exploitation and Discrimination Act;) RA 7658
An Act Prohibiting the Employment of Children
Below 15 years of Age on Public and Private
Undertakings, amending for this Purpose
Section 12, Article VIII of Ra 7610; RA 9231 An
Act Providing for the Elimination of the Worst
Forms of the Child Labor and Affording Stronger
Protection for the Working Child, Amending for
this Purpose Republic Act 7610, as amended)
2. Anti-Trafficking Law (RA 10364, Expanded
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012)

3. Anti-Sexual Harassment Law (RA 7877, Anti-

Sexual Harassment Act)

4. Anti- “Lewd Look” Law (RA 9995, Anti-Photo

and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009)

5. Anti-Bullying Law (RA 10627, Anti-Bullying

Act of 2012)
6. Anti-Child Porn Law (RA 9775, Anti-Child
Pornography Act of 2009)

7. Anti-VAWC Law (RA 9262, Anti-Violence

Against Women and their Children Act of
2004)

8. CSAP Program (Child Sexual Abuse Prevention

Program)
 WHO IS A
CHILD?
 Anyone below 18 years old

Anyone over 18 years old who is unable

and cannot take care of and cannot
himself/herself because of a physical or
mental disability
 WHO IS A CHILD?
Anti-VAWC Law
The common children of the couple and
other children of the woman

Anti-Child Porn Law

A person, no matter how old, depicted or
portrayed as a child

A computer-generated, digitally or manually

crafted image of a person made to appear as
a child.
 TERMS TO REMEMBER
Prostitution is the use of a person by another
for sexual or lewd conduct in exchange for
money or something else

Forced Labor is when work or service is taken

from a person through enticement, violence,
deception, intimidation or threat, force or
coercion
Pornography happens when, through
publication, exhibition, cinematography,
indecent shows, the internet, or by whatever
means, a person is seen in real or simulated
sexual activities or sexual parts of a person are
shown

Child Pornography is any visual, audio, or

written combination, through electronic,
mechanical, digital, or any other means, of a
child engaged or involved in a real or
simulated sexual activity.
Cruelty words or action which belittles the
dignity of a child as a human being. Discipline
is not considered cruelty if reasonably
administered and does not cause physical or
psychological injury.

Child Abuse an act which causes physical or

psychological pain, cruelty or neglect, sexual
abuse, or exploitation of a child
Child Neglect failure of a financially-able parent
or guardian to provide adequate food,
clothing, shelter, education or medical care
which seriously endangers the child

Child Exploitation the hiring, employment,

persuasion, inducement, or coercion of child
to perform in lewd exhibitions and shows,
whether live, on video or film, or to pose or
act as a model in lewd or pornographic
materials, or to sell or distribute these
Physical Violence happens when your physical body
is harmed or hurt

Sexual Violence is an act which is sexual in nature,

including: Rape, sexual harassment, lewd acts,
treatment as a sex object, demeaning and
sexually suggestive comments, physically
attacking sexual parts, forcing to watch obscene
publications and indecent shows or forcing to do
indecent acts and/or make films, acts causing or
attempting to cause the victim to engage in any
sexual activity, and prostitution
Psychological Violence happens when mental or
emotional suffering is caused through
intimidation, harassment, stalking, damage to
property, public ridicule or humiliation,
repeated verbal abuse. It includes witnessing
the physical, sexual or psychological abuse of
a member of the family, or to witness
pornography or abusive injury to pets. Child
feels very anxious, depressed, withdrawn or
shows aggressive outward behavior.
Prohibited Acts
 Anti-Child Abuse
For stronger deterrence and special protection
against child abuse, exploitation, and
discrimination
1. SPECIAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN LAW
Protects children from:

• Child prostitution and other sexual abuse

• Child trafficking
• Lewd publications and shows
• Other acts of abuse
• Circumstances that affect the survival and
normal development of children
1. SPECIAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN LAW
Protects children from:

• Armed conflict and armed conflict-related

activities
• Working under dangerous conditions
• Fending for themselves on the streets without
care and basic needs
• Certain inequities due to indigenous cultural
identity
• Disaster and man-made calamities
• Other like situations that put the life, safety and
normal development of the child at risk
2. ANTI-TRAFFICKING LAW
 2. ANTI-TRAFFICKING LAW
Trafficking in Persons – refers to the recruitment,
obtaining, hiring, providing, offering, transportation,
transfer, maintaining, harboring, or receipt of persons
with or without the victim’s consent or knowledge,
within or across national borders by means of threat,
or use of force, or other forms of coercion, abduction,
fraud, deception, abuse of power or of position, or, the
giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve
the consent of a person having control over another
person for the purpose of exploitation which includes
at a minimum, the exploitation or the prostitution of
others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced
labor or services, slavery, servitude or the removal or
sale of organs
3. ANTI-SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAW

Sexual harassment is when a person in

authority at school or at work requests or
demands any kind of sexual favor, even if not
accepted or ignored
3. ANTI-SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAW

The leader at school or at work must prevent

sexual harassment from happening, and
resolve or prosecute acts if it happens, or
else….
3. ANTI-SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAW
Types of sexual harassment:
• Visual
in appropriate instant messages or emails, bathroom wall
graffiti, showing someone inappropriate pictures that makes
them feel uncomfortable, lewd gestures
• Verbal
dirty jokes, comments about somebody’s body, spreading
rumors of a sexual kind
• Physical
grabbing or touching someone that makes them feel
uncomfortable, unwanted hugging or kissing, pulling down
someone’s pants
3. ANTI-SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAW
It is happens in school when:
• One is under the care, custody or the supervision of
the offender, or one’s education, training,
apprenticeship or tutorship is entrusted to the
offender, and the sexual favor is made a condition to
giving of passing grade, or the granting of honors and
scholarship, or the payment of a stipend, allowance
or benefits, privileges or consideration, and/or when
sexual advances result in an intimidating, hostile or
offensive environment for the student trainee or
apprentice
4. ANTI- “LEWD LOOK” LAW
 4. ANTI- “LEWD LOOK” LAW

To prevent the increase of scandals and to

punish those acts that destroy the honor,
integrity, and dignity of a person
 4. ANTI- “LEWD LOOK” LAW
MUST NOT take a photo or video of persons
performing sexual acts or similar activities,
including images of private parts

MUST NOT copy or reproduce the image or video

MUST NOT sell, distribute, publish, exhibit the

image or video through DVD, internet, cell
phones, or other similar means
5. ANTI-BULLYING LAW
 5. ANTI-BULLYING LAW
What is bullying?

It is any harsh or repeated use of a written,

verbal, or electronic expression, or physical
act or gesture, or combination, directed at
another, which causes fear of physical or
emotional harm or damage to property.
Actions that create a hostile environment at
school for the other students
 5. ANTI-BULLYING LAW
A bully…

Punches, shoves, kicks, slaps, tickles, headlocks,

pulls pranks, teases, fights, and uses available
objects as weapons in fights
Uses foul languages, bad words, name-calls and
torments others based on looks, clothes or
body
Can also cyber-bully by bullying another through
the use of technology
 PAALAALA SA MANONOOD

Ang inyong kwentong matutunghayan ay pawang

kathang-sip lamang ng manunulat. Ang mga
estudyanteng gumanap ay sadyang pinili upang
mas maging makatotohanan ang temang
tinalakay. Ang mga batang inyong mapapanood
ay walang kinalaman sa pangbu-bully at hindi
kaylanman nasanggkot sa anumang kaso ng
BULLYING. Ang Siena College of Taytay ay
mahigpit na kinokendena ang anumang uri ng
“bullying” sa loob ng paaralan at sumusuporta sa
“Child Protection Policy” na inilunsad ng
Kagawaran ng Edukasyon.
 6. ANTI-CHILD PORN LAW
Child porn refers to the use of children as
objects of immorality and indecency in live
shows, movies, television, newspapers,
magazines and other forms of media
It is against the law to:
Hire, use, persuade or force a child to perform in
the production of any form of child porn
Produce, direct, create, publish, transmit, sell,
broadcast, advertise, promote, export or import
any form of child porn
Provide a place to make child porn
Be a parent or guardian and allow your child to
take part in child porn
7. ANTI-VAWC LAW
 7. ANTI-VAWC LAW
Violence against women and their children is
committed by a person against a woman who is
his wife, former wife, or one who he has had a
relationship and has a common child with, or
against the child of the woman
It results in physical, sexual, or psychological
harm or suffering, or economic abuse where the
woman is made to be financially dependent on
the man
It also might involve battery, assault, coercion,
harassment or random deprivation of freedom
 7. ANTI-VAWC LAW
Ways committed:
• Causing, threatening, attempting to cause the
woman or her child physical harm
• Placing the woman or her child in fear of
physical harm
• Inflicting or threatening to inflict physical
harm on oneself for the purpose of controlling
her actions or decisions
 7. ANTI-VAWC LAW
• Causing or attempting to cause the woman or her
child to do any sexual activity which is not rape,
by force or threat of force, physical harm, or
through intimidation directed against both of
their immediate family
• Engaging in purposeful, knowing, or reckless
conduct that alarms or causes substantial
emotional or psychological distress
• Causing mental or emotional anguish, public
ridicule or humiliation
 8. CSAP PROGRAM
A person sexually abuses a child when he or she
exposes the child to sexual acts or behavior.
Child sexual abuse is an abuse of trust, power, and
authority that may cause serious short-term and
long-term problems for a child.
Prevention programs designed for children are an
important part of the effort to prevent child
sexual abuse. These are valuable because they
provide information, support, and
empowerment.
 8. CSAP PROGRAM
Who are the victims?
Children and adolescents, regardless of race,
culture, or economic status, appear to be at equal
risk for sexual victimization.
Statistics show that girls are sexually abused
more often than boys, however, boys’ and men’s
tendency not to report their victimization may
affect these statistics.
It is telling to note that men who have been
abused are more commonly seen in the criminal
justice system than in clinical mental health
settings.
What are the effects of sexual abuse?
Victims can suffer a range of psychological
and behavioral problems in both the short and
long term. These problems typically include
depression, anxiety, guilt, fear, sexual
dysfunction, withdrawal, and acting out.
The initial or short-term effects of abuse
usually occur within 2 years after the end of the
abuse.
These effects vary depending upon the
circumstances of the abuse and the child’s
developmental stage, but may include regressive
behaviors (such as a return to thumb-sucking or
bed-wetting), sleep disturbances, eating
problems, behavior and/or performance
problems at school, and non-participation in
school and social activities.
What are the effects of sexual abuse?
The experience can affect the victim for many
years, and follow into adulthood. Adults who
were sexually abused as children commonly
experience depression. Additionally, high levels of
anxiety in these adults can result in self-
destructive behaviors, such as alcoholism or drug
abuse, anxiety attacks, situation-specific anxiety
disorders, and insomnia.
Revictimization is also a common
phenomenon among people abused as children.
In short, the ill effects of child sexual abuse
are wide ranging. There is no one set of
symptoms or outcomes that victims experience.
Who can I approach?
 HELP!
 Mom and Dad, Siblings
 Grandparents
 Aunts or Uncles
 Teachers
 Friends

*abuse offenses are public crimes and may be

reported by any citizen having personal
knowledge of the circumstances of the crime
 HELP!
 Philippine National Police (PNP)
 Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD)
 Women and Children’s Concern Division (WCCD)
 Public Attorney’s Office
 Women Crisis Center
 Gender Watch Against Violence and Exploitation
(GWAVE)
 CONFIDENTIALITY
Sssssssshhhhhhhh…………………….

The right to privacy of the child shall be

ensured at any stage of the investigation,
prosecution, and trial of offenses
What will happen?

IMPRISONMENT

 FINE
 PENALTIES
Anti-Bullying Law
– Rehabilitation program for the bully
– Suspension
– Dismissal
– 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
A project of the Dumaguete Office of the City Legal
Assistance Service and the Dr. Jovito R. Salonga
Center for Law & Development
Silliman University
2013