Child protection policy

1. Background
What is the estimated number of street children in the Philippine? According to UNICEF
(2000) out of the world’s 1.2 billion people living in poverty, more than 600 million are children.
The number of street children worldwide is almost impossible to know, although the World
Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF estimate the number to be 100 million. The social
phenomenon of street children is increasing as the world’s population grows. (Casa Alianza,
Worldwide Statistics 2000)
The “Study on up Manila: Towards a National Survey on Violence Against Children”
describes the situation in the Philippines. Out of 32.8million, 40% of the population are living in
slums. An estimated 1,200,000 children live on the streets in the Philippines
Why is it there are children prefer to live on the streets instead of going to school and
study? Over the last three years, the dropout rate for elementary students (aged 6 to 15) has
increased from 5.99 percent (school year 2007-2008) to 6.28 percent (2009-2010), the ILO said.
The group found out that one of the main reasons children quit school is that they are forced to
work
Recent International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates indicate that, in 2004, 250 million
children between the ages of 5 and 14 were involved in child labor, of which 126 million were in
hazardous work. Estimates from 2000 suggest that 5.7 million were in forced or bonded labour,
1.8 million in prostitution and pornography, and 1.2 million were victims of trafficking as sex
workers, a modern form of slavery. (International Labour Office, 2006)
According to Violence Against Children in the School Study (2009), worldwide,
approximately 40 million children below the age of 15 are subjected to child abuse each year. 4
out of 10 children in Grade 1 -3 and 7 out of 10 Grade 4- 6 and High School have experienced
some form of violence. The most common form is verbal abuse at 65% while the most common
perpetrator over-all is peers.
Child Sexual Abuse: Top 5 Countries With the Highest Rates
Child sexual abuse is rampant, indiscriminate and cuts across class, geography, culture
and religion. It happens in cities and villages, by fathers, brothers, relatives, neighbors, teachers
and strangers. Millions of children worldwide are victims of sexual abuse every year
South Africa is the country with the highest rates of child sexual abuse. One child is
raped every three minutes, according to a 2009 report by trade union Solidarity Helping Hand. A
2009 survey by the country's Medical Research Council found that one in four men admits to
raping someone, 62% of boys over 11 believe forcing someone to have sex is not an act of
violence and a third believe girls enjoy rape, the Independent reported. More than 67,000 cases
of rape and sexual assaults against children were reported in 2000, according to the Telegraph.
Some of the victims were as young as six-months-old, a number of whom died from their
injuries, while others contracted HIV. Many people in South Africa believe that sex with a virgin
can heal someone from HIV/AIDS. They do have an idea that having sex with a virgin cleanses
you from AIDS.

2. The second is India, in its 2013 report India's Hell Holes: Child Sexual Assault in
Juvenile Justice Homes, the Asian Centre for Human Rights said that sexual offences against
children in India have reached epidemic proportion. The report stated that more than 48,000
child rape cases were recorded from 2001 to 2011 and that India saw an increase of 336% of
child rape cases from 2001 (2,113 cases) to 2011 (7,112 cases). Imagine 48,838 children raped in
just 10 years and you have a small measure of how deep the inhuman phenomenon of child rapes
runs in India In 2012, the Indian Parliament passed the Protection of Children from Sexual
Offences Act, which incorporates child friendly procedures for reporting, recording of evidence,
2007 study by the Indian Government of nearly 12,500 children from across India, 53% of
children - boys and girls equally - were victims of sexual abuse.
Zimbabwe is third in the list. According to Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner
Charity Charamba said in 2012 that rape cases against children continued to increase
countrywide. The rape cases are on the increase and during the week ending 25 September 2012,
the cases rose to 81 from 65 the previous week. Evident from our investigations is the fact that
relatives commit most juvenile rape cases.
In United Kingdom, a quarter of a million Britons - more than one in every 200 adults -
are pedophiles, according to figures released by Scotland Yard, the Telegraph reported in 2000.
In 2012/13, there were 18,915 sexual crimes against children fewer than 16 recorded in England
and Wales, according to the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).
Included in that figure were 4,171 offences of sexual assault on a female child under 13 and
1,267 offences of sexual assault on under-13 male children
United States is last from the list. Even if the true prevalence of child sexual abuse is not
known, most will agree that there will be 500,000 babies born in the US this year that will be
sexually abused before they turn 18 if we do not prevent it," according to the Children
Assessment Centre (CAC). The US Department of Health and Human Services' Children's
Bureau report Child Maltreatment 2010 found that 16% of young people aged 14 to 17 had been
sexually victimized in that year, and over the course of their lifetime, 28% of young people in the
US, aged 14 to 17, had been sexually victimized.
DepEd Child Protection Policy D.O. No. 40, s. 2012
DepEd launched its Child Protection Policy on May 3, 2012, through DepEd Order No.
40, s. 2012, to promote a zero-tolerance policy for any act of child abuse, exploitation, violence,
discrimination, bullying and other related offenses. DepEd conducted a nationwide information
dissemination campaign and is currently conducting a series of training of trainers.
PROHIBITED ACTS
a. Child abuse;
b. Discrimination against children;

3. c. Child exploitation;
d. Violence against children in school;
e. Corporal punishment;
f. Any analogous or similar acts; and
g. Bullying or peer abuse
Section 1.Short Title
"DepEd Child Protection Policy."
Section 2.
Statement of Policy
a.Article XV, Section 3(2)
b. Article XIV, Section 3(2)
c. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
Section 3.
Definition of Terms
A child refers to a person below eighteen (18) years of age or one who is over 18 but is
incapable of taking care of himself fully because of a physical or mental disability or condition
or of protecting himself from abuse
 Children in School
 Pupil, Student or Learner
 School Personnel
 Child Protection
 Parents
 Guardians or Custodians
 School Visitor or Guest
Children in Need of Special Protection
These are children who are: in hazardous & exploitative labor; on the streets; victims of
sexual abuse & commercial exploitation; victims of family violence & neglect; separated from or

4. have lost their parents; with various forms of disability; in conflict with the law; girl children; in
situation of armed conflict; in ethnic/cultural communities; Muslim; and with HIV/AIDS.
Policy & Legislative Initiatives
1. 1987 Constitution
2. Presidential Decree No. 603 (Child & Youth Welfare Code)
3. Republic Act 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and
Discrimination Act)
4. RA 8172 (ASIN Law)
5. RA 8369 (Family Courts Act)
6. RA 8370 (Children’s Television Act)
7. RA 8972 (Solo Parents’ Act)
8. RA 8980 (Early Childhood Care & Development Act)
Similarities of Republic Act 7610 and DepEd Child Protection Policy
Republic Act 7610 and DepEd Child Protection Policy defined “child” as, a child who is
below 18 years of age or one who is above 18 years of age but who cannot take care of himself
fully because of a physical or mental disability or condition.
They defined “child abuse” as, it is any act with inflicts physical or psychological injury,
cruelty to or the neglect sexual abuse of, or which exploits a child.
Republic Act 7610 defined Discrimination as, refers to an act of exclusion, distinction,
restriction or preference which is based on any ground such as age, ethnicity, sex, sexual
orientation and gender identity, language, religion, political or other opinion national or social
origin while Republic Act 7610 only pointed Children of Indigenous Cultural Communities and
it is stated in Article IX Section 20, it defined Discrimination as, children of indigenous cultural
communities shall not be subjected to any and all forms of discrimination. And any person who
discriminates against children of indigenous cultural communities shall suffer a penalty of arrest
in its maximum period and a fine of less than 5000 pesos more than 10,000 pesos.

5. Types of Child Abuse
Corporal Punishment refers to a kind of punishment or penalty imposed for an alleged or
actual offense, which is carried out or inflicted, for the purpose of discipline, training or control
by a teacher, school administrator, an adult or any other child who has been given or has
assumed authority or responsibility for punishment or discipline. Most involves hitting, snacking,
slapping, sparking children with the hand.
Bullying or Peer Abuse refers to willful aggressive behavior that is directed towards a
particular victim who may be out- numbered, younger, weak, with disability, less confident or
otherwise vulnerable. More particularly;
Bullying is committed when a student commits an act or a series of acts directed towards
another or several students in school setting or a place of learning which results in physical and
mental abuse, harassment, intimidation or humiliation. Such acts may consists;
a. Threats to inflict a wrong upon the person, honor or property of the person or on his or her
family.
b. Stalking
c. Taking of property
d. Public humiliation
e. Deliberate destruction
f. Physical violence committed upon a student
g. Demanding or requiring sexual or monetary favors
h. Restraining he liberty and freedom of a pupil or student
Victims of Bullying can suffer for more than actual physical harm, such as; grades may
suffer because attention is drawn away from learning; and they may lose or fail to develop self-
esteem, may become withdrawn and depressed.
Cyber Bullying is any conduct defined in the preceding paragraph, as resulting in
harassment, intimidation, or humiliation through electronic means or other technology such as
texting and other social networking websites. The targets of cyber bullying are the people feeling

6. depressed, sad, angry and frustrated.
Violence Against Children Committed in School refers to a single act or a series of acts
committed by school administrators, academic and non- academic personnel against a child
which result in or is likely to result in physical, sexual psychological harm or suffering or other
abuses.
Duties and Responsibilities
The School, which is represented by School Head, has a responsibility to ensure if the
school adopts Child Protection Policy. And as a part of their compliance they need to organize
Child Protection Committee. They are also responsible for disseminating information to raise the
awareness about child protection policy. They will be the one who will conduct capacity building
activity and proceedings in cases of offenses committed by the child. It is also their duty to
ensure that the school adopts students’ code of conduct to be followed by the students. And as an
institution that protects the children they need to coordinate to appropriate offices and agencies
such as Department of Social Welfare and Development for them to be more effective.
The School Personnel such as school administrator, teachers, academic and non-academic
and other personnel need to act as second parents of the students while they are under their
supervision because most of their time of a day is being spent inside school. As a second parent
they should give love and affection to the students and when they are facing obstacles they
should also be the one to give advice and counsel. They need to make sure that students are
physically and mentally healthy and ensure that they are away from any habit that can harm their
studies and moral. Teachers should not just teach based on what is written on the book, they
should not be delimited by subject matter, they should also inculcate values in their lessons. And
when it comes to disciplining, teachers should avoid corporal punishment or physical
punishment, it is recommended to use positive and non-violent disciplining.
The learners have their own duties and responsibilities to in protecting their selves and
other children. One of their responsibilities is to follow the rules and regulation of their school,
such as avoiding vandalism, cutting classes, possessing prohibited articles and engaging in
fights. They need to act according to their age and maturity. And in order for them to establish
understanding, peace and safety to other students, they should learn to respect each other’s right
regardless of anything.
Establishment of Child Protection Committee
It is required to the different institution to establish their Child Protection Committee
(CPC) whether it is a public or private school, elementary or secondary school. It will be lead by
the School Head as Chairperson of CPC. There is also a Vice Chairperson which could be the
Guidance Councilor or a Teacher. It also consists of four Representatives coming from students,
teachers, parents, and community.

7. The function of CPC is to draft child protection policy and initiate programs and
activities that can raise awareness about the about the mentioned policy. They should also
develop a system of monitoring and identifying the possible victims of child abuse, bullying,
discrimination and exploitation to minimize the frequency of these cases. And if it is necessary
they should report the case to appropriate offices. They should also respect and protect the right
of students to be heard, whether he is the offender or the victim all of them has a right to defend
their selves. They should also coordinate with Philippine National Police (PNP), Local Social
Welfare and Development (LSWDO) and other government agency and non-government agency
to help them in protecting the children.
Preventive Measures to Address Child Abuse, Exploitation, Violence, Discrimination, and
Bullying and Other Acts of Abuse
Sessions, training and seminars about positive peer relationship and enhancement of
social and emotional competence can help the school personnel, students, parents and guardian
to understand and deal with child abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination, and bullying.
Training modules about anger and stress management, gender sensitivity, and most important of
all is positive and non-violent disciplining should also be included in Capacity Building.
Positive and Non-violent Disciplining is a way of disciplining the children without the
involvement of physical punishment. There are programs that promote positive and non-violent
disciplining such as: education session about corporal punishment and positive discipline;
formation of support groups among the teachers and non-teaching personnel; and parents’
orientation session.
Protective and Remedial Measures to Address Child Abuse, Exploitation, Violence,
Discrimination, and Bullying and Other Acts of Abuse
Procedures in Handling Bullying in School
The victim must file a complaint first to the School Head then the School Head must
notify the parents of the victim and parents of the offender for a meeting wherein they will try to
settle the case. The offender must be turn over to the CPC for counseling and other convention.
If bullying is committed for a second subsequent time, the School Head can impose
suspension to the offender in not more than one week. During the period of suspension, the
offender together with the parents is required to attend seminars and counseling.
If the bullying lead to serious physical injury or death the child will be dealt under
Republic Act 9344 also known as “Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006”. It is an act that
deals with the child in conflict.
Procedures in Handling Prohibited Acts
The following acts, as defined by section 3 of this order, are prohibited: child abuse;
discrimination against children; child exploitation; violence against children in school; corporal
punishment; and any analogous similar act.

8. Public Schools
The victim must file a complaint to the School Head or School Division Superintendent.
This complaint should be forwarded to the Disciplinary Authority in not more than 48 hours who
shall then issue a fact-finding investigation not later than 72 hours.
If the complaint is not sufficient in form, the School Head, School Division
Superintendent or Disciplinary Authority must inform the complainant for the completion of the
requirements.
Failure to submit the following report on time without a valid reason shall be ground for
administrative action for neglect of duties against the responsible official. The child’s identity
must be hidden whether he or she is a victim or offender for the protection of his or her.
Private Schools
If the complaint is against the school personnel or official, it should be file to the School
Head, upon the due process of law if the suspects found guilty the offender will be dealt under
the rules of the school.
The school has a duty of promulgating child protection policy, including policy in
bullying, protocol for reporting and procedures for handling and management of cases, consistent
with these policy and guidelines.

9. Bulacan State University
College of Education
An activity in partial fulfillment in Educ 413b
Special Topics
Written Report in Child Protection Policy
Mr. Rolando Gapar
Submitted by:
Rommel Gabieta
Daisy Joy Garin
Denjie Magrimbao
Mabel Roque
BSEd 4C
September 26 2014