TEACHERS’ CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT, STRATEGIES AND CHALLENGES IN BULLYING

Bullying in schools is a concern because it can affect learners’ sense of safety, emotional well-being, relationships, and participation in learning. School should be a place where learners can study without fear of repeated intimidation, humiliation, exclusion, or aggression. UNESCO (2019) describes school violence and bullying as barriers to children’s rights to education, health, and well-being. Prevention and effective response are therefore important parts of creating a safe learning environment. Bullying should be distinguished from an isolated disagreement. Gladden, Vivolo-Kantor, Hamburger, and Lumpkin (2014) emphasize the importance of consistent definitions when identifying and studying bullying. Teachers need to recognize bullying-related behavior, follow reporting procedures, and respond in ways that protect learners and comply with school policy. In the Philippines, Republic Act No. 10627, known as the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, requires elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies to prevent and address bullying. DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2012, the DepEd Child Protection Policy, provides policy guidance for protecting children in schools from abuse, violence, discrimination, bullying, and other forms of abuse. These policy documents make school-level prevention, reporting, and response procedures important responsibilities for education personnel.