WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Extension Campus in Himamaylan City

Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental

Bullying: It’s Impact on the Academic Performance of the Learners

A Research Proposal

Presented to the

Faculty of the College of Education

West Visayas State University

Himamaylan City Extension Campus

Himamaylan City Negros Occidental

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Bullying: It’s Impact on the Academic Performance of the Learners

Chapter 1

Introduction to the Study

Chapter one has five parts: (1) Background and Theoretical Framework of the

Study, (2) Statement of the Problem and the Hypotheses, (3) Significance of the Study,

(4) Definition of Terms, and (5) Delimitation of the Study.

Part One, Background and Theoretical Framework of the study, presents the

rationale for choosing the problem and the theoretical framework of the study.

Part Two, Statement of the Problem and the Hypotheses, states the problems

considered in the investigation and the hypotheses tested.

Part Three, Significance of the Study, cites the benefits that may be derived from

the study.

Part Four, Definition of Terms, defines the important terms used conceptually

and operationally.
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Part Five, Delimitation of the Study, cites the scope and coverage f the

investigation.

Background and Theoretical Framework of the Study

Bullying is one of the most widespread issue or problem in schools especially in

elementary level. It have been said that it had a negative impact on school climate and

on students right to learn in a safe and secure environment without fear. Bullying

certainly is not a new problem in schools throughout history, but the level of and

frequency of violence associated with bullying has soared to an all time high. Serious

and deadly school shootings have escalated and it seems impossible to ensure that our

schools are safe. (Baier, 2007)

"Bullying is a negative and often aggressive or manipulative act or series of acts

by one of more people against another person or people usually over a period of time. It

is abusive and is based on an imbalance of power." Most definitions of bullying include

repeated aggressive acts that are intended to harm without or provocation by the

victim. (Sullivan, Cleary, Sullivan, p. 5) There are three forms of bullying: physical

(including hitting, kicking, spitting, pushing, stealing, and destruction of property),

verbal (such as taunting, malicious teasing, name calling, and making threats), and

psychological (including spreading rumors, manipulating social relationships, exclusion

from a peer group, extortion, and intimidation) (Cohn and Canter, 2003). Bullying have
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affect the victims such as their academic performance, self – esteem and even behavior

of the one who were bullied. According to Klomeck, et al, 2007 victims of bullying tend

to report feelings of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and isolation; poor school

performance; suicidal ideation; and suicide attempts.

Curiosity knocks on the minds of the researchers that they come up with the

study “Bullying: Its Impact on the Academic Performance of the Learners”. The

researchers want to know to what extent bullying affect the academic performance of

the Grade IV students of Himamaylan Central School, A.Y. 2013 – 2014. Figure 1

illustrates the paradigm of the study,

Personal Factors Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Gender
Male
Female

SES Bullying
1. Verbal Academic
a. High
2. Physical Performance
b. Average
c. Low

Parents Educational
Attainment
a. College Graduate
b. College Level
c. High School
Graduate
e. High School
Level

Figure 1. Bullying and its Effect on the Academic Performance of the Learners.
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Statement of the Problem and the Hypotheses

The main purpose of this study is to determine pupil’s experience of bullying and

its effects in their academic performance.

Specifically this study will sought to answer the following question:

1. What is the academic performance of Grade IV pupils when group

according to the intensity of bullying experiences?

2. What is the intensity of bullying experiences of the Grade IV pupils when

group according to:

a. Age

b. Sex

c. Socioeconomic status

d. Parents educational background

3. Is there a significant difference of the academic performance Grade IV

pupils when group according to the intensity of bullying experiences.

4. Is there a significant difference of bullying experiences of the Grade IV

pupils when group according to:

a. Age

b. Sex

c. Socioeconomic status

d. Parents educational background

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Statement of the Hypothesis

Based on the foregoing problems, the proponent formulated the following

hypothesis.

1. There is no significant difference of the academic performance Grade IV

pupils when group according to the intensity of bullying experiences?

2. There is no significant difference in bullying experiences of the

Grade IV pupils when group according to:

a. Age

b. Sex

c.Socioeconomic status

d.Parents educational background

Significance of the Study

Whatever the results of the study may reveal will be essential to the following:

To the administrator it may serve as an aid in order to make amends or

programs for minimizing and as much as possible diminished bullying activities inside

the school premises.

To the teachers and school heads for them to know that there is a possibility

that bullying can affect academic performance of the one who is being bullied and for

them to give interventions or possible solutions to minimize bullying inside the school

premises.
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To the parents for them to give much attention to their children and that they

should have enough communication to their children for them to know if they

child/children is a victim of bullying.

To the students for them to have knowledge on how bullying, can affect the

academic performance of those who are being bullied and give them insights that being

a bully is not right and how bullying changes the life of the bullied.

Definition of Terms

Bullying. It is defined in the literature as a subset of aggressive behavior,

comprising a physical, verbal, or psychological attack by one or more individuals.( Land,

2003)

In this study it is defined as the act in which the stronger students dominate the

weaker one.

Verbal bullying. It is in the form of yelling abuse at another, name-calling, using

insulting expressions, or make verbal threats. (2009 Bullying Statistics - Stop Bullying,

Harrassment, and Violence)

In this study it is defined as the act of hurting one’s feeling through the use of

negative words or calling names of other student’s which is not good to hear.

Physical bullying – includes teasing and name calling, followed by hitting and kicking,

and threats (Stephenson & Smith, 1989; Sharp & Smith, 1994; Hoover, Oliver, & Hazier,

1992).
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In this study it is defined as the act of hurting someone physically or through

actions and deeds.

Bully. The one who exhibit aggressive behavior toward their peers and often

toward adults. They may desire power and control and get satisfaction from inflicting

suffering.

In this study it is defined as the one who tyrannizes the weaker student.

Bullied. They are those who appear physically or emotionally weak. (Cohn

and Canter, 2003). They are victims that are passive and tend to be more anxious,

insecure, cautious, quiet, and sensitive. They often appear weak or easily dominated

(Shellard, 2002)

In this study it is defined as the victim as well as the respondents.

Learners. It is someone who attends an educational institution. (Webste’s

Universal, (Geddest and Grosset, yr?)

In this study it is defined as the Grade IV students of Himamaylan Central

School.

Academic performance. It is the act of performing. (Webste’s Universal, Geddest

and Grosset, yr?)

In this study it is defined as the grades achieved by the students.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

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The focus of this study is the grade IV students of Himamaylan Central School,

A.Y. 2013 – 2014, who will be chosen as respondents to our study through the use of

random sampling. This study is concerned with the bullying experiences of the students

cause by different factors such as, their age, sex whether they are male, female, lesbian

and gay, the socio – economic status of the victim and their parents educational

background. Our study is limited only to the effect of bulling on their academic

performance.

Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature

This chapter presents and reviews related literature, namely: theories, concepts

and researches pertinent to the present study.

Introduction

It is alarming to know that several cases of bullying have been reported to affect

the life of those who are experiencing this. It is one of the common issues that bothers

the country since it is said to affect the lives of both the bully and the victim, but most

of its effect goes to the victim. Series of studies have been conducted to prove its

effects in every aspect of their lives. Given the high prevalence and negative

consequences of bullying and aggressive behavior in schools (see, for example, Rigby,

1996) and widespread efforts to counteract bullying (e.g., Eslea & Smith, 1998; Owens,
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Slee, & Shute,2001; Smith & Brain, 2000), it is clear that social scientists and educators

have an ongoing duty to explore these phenomena. There is ample evidence illustrating

the possible detrimental health effects of bullying and other aggressive behaviors upon

victims (e.g., Craig, 1998; Crick & Grotpeter, 1995; Hawker & Boulton, 2000;

Rivers, 2004).

Concept of Bullying

Bullying is defined in the literature as a subset of aggressive behaviour,

comprising a physical, verbal, or psychological attack by one or more individuals

(e.g., Land, 2003; Owens & MacMullin, 1995; Swain, 1998). Olweus (1999b)

clearly defined bullying and violence (or violent behaviour) as two subcategories of

aggression. Bullying and harassment are not new issues that students and schools face.

In fact, over the years, it has been viewed as being so commonplace in schools that it

has been overlooked as a threat to students and reduced to a belief that bullying is a

developmental stage that most youth will experience then get over (Ross, 2002, p. 107).

Bullying has been a social norm, and moreover, an integral school culture since long ago

(Thompson, Arora & Sharp, 2002). According to Sullivan there is compelling evidence

that the impact of bullying has lifelong debilitating consequences. Harris & Hathorn

categorized indirect behaviours into four categories; relational aggression, verbal

bullying, racial bullying, and other. Relational aggression refers to behaviours such as

“giving hurtful nicknames, making humiliating remarks, mocking, and making others feel

alone at school, it is
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emotional violence that inflicts harm on others through the use of relationships.

The Bullies

Bullies were commonly thought that those who act aggressively do so as

a result of low self-esteem and that using aggression is one way for these individuals to

boost their self-esteem (e.g., Anderson, 1994). It therefore seems apparent that

interventions that improve self-esteem may lead to reduced levels of aggression (see

Haney & Durlak, 1998). Conversely, given that some researchers now believe that it is

certain types of high self-esteem that contribute to certain individuals behaving

aggressively (Baumeister, Smart, & Boden, 1996). Common characteristics of bullies

include lack of empathy or concern for others. Bullies also tend to demonstrate a strong

need to dominate and subdue their peers. They are usually hot tempered and become

enraged easily. Bullies usually tend to pick victims who are weaker and use intimidation

such as threats 11 or compromise one's reputation. Bullies are usually physically

aggressive and they tend to be defiant, oppositional, and aggressive towards adults and

authority figures. There are three potential reasons for the etiology of bullying. (Olweus,

1993) The first theory suggests that these aggressive behaviors exist within a child's

home. Some believe that these children learn intimidation tactics from their parents or

guardians. These types of behavior are commonplace within their homes and therefore

familiar. Bullies learn these negative interaction styles from their parents and caregivers

at home. Therefore, bullying behaviors are essentially modeled at home. The second

theory states that these behaviors are reinforced either directly or indirectly by providing
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the bully with some form of reward or privilege when involved in a bullying behavior.

Perhaps the bully feels empowered by the sense of controlling and hurting other people.

The bully is rewarded through his misguided sense of control over others. Finally the

third theory believes that bullies have misinterpreted perception of other's behaviors and

their intentions. For example, if an individual accidentally knocks over a bully's book, the

bully may perceive that action as intentional and retaliate by becoming verbally or

physically abusive. Bullies tend to pick victims who exhibit some form of vulnerability.

For example, the way a person dresses or looks are all open targets for bullies. Victims

are generally not in the "in" crowd. They are usually not in the popular group. The most

common denominator for any victim of bullying is "difference". (Ziemann, 2006) Ross

(2002, p.108-114) summarizes characteristics of bullies, home environments that breed

bullying behaviors and possible outcomes for bullies who do not receive interventions for

their behavior. She has echoed Olweus’ work explaining that within the category of bully

there are primarily two distinct groups; aggressive bullies and anxious bullies. The

characteristics of aggressive bullies tend to be that they are stronger than average,

active, and impulsive. They use threatening behaviors or postures, can be easily

provoked, and have an underlying positive attitude to violence.

They may experience their world through paranoid thoughts and feelings, are

skilful in avoiding blame, and feel no empathy for their victims or remorse for their

actions; often perceiving their actions as less severe than how the victim perceives them

(p. 108). A major difference between aggressive and anxious bullies is their self-esteem.
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While aggressive bullies typically have popularity among their friends and a higher level

of self-esteem, anxious bullies lack confidence, have low self-esteem, and have few

friends. They often display uncontrolled emotions such as temper outbursts. Because of

their low self-esteem and eagerness for friends, they are often loyal followers of the

aggressive bullies. Anxious bullies will often join in to a bullying incident that an

aggressive bully has started and take the blame for it to prove allegiance (p. 113-114).

There is a third group of bullies that is defined more as a subgroup of the aggressive

bullies, or the hard core of a bullying sphere. Their characteristics overlap those of the

aggressive bullies, but the key difference is that they are cold and manipulative. They

are highly skilled experts in social situations, using subtle, indirect methods of

interactions with others organizing groups of followers who will do their dirty work

leaving them blameless. This group may display extreme anti-social behaviors and do

not fear negative consequences making any type of intervention or counseling very

difficult and ineffective (p. 110-111). Social learning theory explains the development of

bullying behaviors and attitudes in the family. Children that witness aggressive depict

mothers lacking in warmth and caring for the child and fathers that are the authoritative

power in the home (p. 111). The parental style of discipline is inconsistent and the child

learns to never know what to expect. Due to this, in moments of uncertainty the child

will expect the worst and act accordingly. The parents have unusually high tolerance for

child’s aggressive behaviors toward other children and may encourage physical

aggression for conflict resolution with other children. If the child is punished for
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something, the parents will use power-assertive disciplinary methods (p. 111). Learning

about the environment that these children grow up in, helps to understand how the

victim-bully cycle takes place. Recognizing that these children who have been labeled

bullies are most likely victims of bullying as well is an important factor for more effective

interventions for their behaviors. Ross summarizes a study that was done in Finland

explaining that during their adolescent years bullies are just as likely to be at risk for

depression and suicide as victims and when depression is controlled it is bullies who

have a higher suicide ideation, concluding they are more like victims than previously

believed (p. 110). If the bullying behaviors are not intervened then some of these

children could continue into a life of violence and potentially crime. Ross shows in a

longitudinal study by Eron & Huessman, that children who bullied at age 8 had a 1:4

chance of having a criminal record by age 30. Children who did not bully at age 8 had a

1:20 chance of having a criminal record. Those with criminal records were convicted of

crimes ranging petty theft to serious crimes such as murder. The study also showed that

they did not achieve as well academically (many having dropped out of high school) or

professionally. It also showed that they were socially below the non-bully group and

more abusive to spouses and children. Perpetuating the victim-bully cycle, this study

showed that their children were labeled as bullies as well (p.109).

The Bullied
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They are the victims and can also be separated into two distinct groups; passive

victims and provocative victims. Passive victims tend to have characteristics such as low

self-concept and self confidence, be sensitive emotionally and have fears of inadequacy.

They tend to be physically smaller and weaker than other children their age and have

ineffective social skills or poor interpersonal skills. They will often internalize and blame

themselves for any issues that arise (Ross, 2002, p. 115). Provocative victims on the

other hand, are “far more assertive, confident, and active than other victims and are

noted for prolonging a fight even when they are losing” (Ross, 2002, p. 118). They are

described as volatile, aggressive, and create management problems at school. They

have very few friends because they lack social skills. Children may become victims partly

due to their temperament and partly from learned behaviors from their parents. The

child may have a shy temperament and be hesitant to enter social situations or lack

social skills that encourage friendship building. Ross adds that “in some cases there has

been too much family involvement in the victim’s life, with a consequent inability to

handle situations on their own” (2002, p.116). Research in Australia conducted by Rigby

and Slee (1991) found that of 685 school children (6-16 years old), 16.8% of boys and

11.4% of girls reported being bullied pretty often or very often. These findings make it

apparent that bullying is widespread in schools and, disparate methodologies and

definitions notwithstanding, bullying prevalence rates are similar across cultures (Griffin

& Gross, 2004; Smith et al., 2002) and, consequently, it was expected that similar

prevalence rates would be found in the sample investigated in the present study. From
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the above it appears that at any given time around 1 in 10 students is likely to be

involved in bullying in some form or another. study by Salmivalli et al. (1996) also noted

that 3.0% of female and 8.8% of male victims were also classified as having a

“secondary” role of bully, concluding that these “few” individuals did not constitute a

separate participant role. Harris & Petrie (2002, p. 43) have summarized research by

Olweus and Rigby about the difference in gender, frequency and types of bullying that is

taking place in school. They state: In general, more boys than girls bully others, and

more girls than boys report that they were bullied, yet more boys than girls are victims

of bullying. Direct physical bullying is more common among boys, while girls typically

use more subtle, indirect forms of harassment. Harris & Hathorn (2006, p. 54 - 55)

explain the gender difference further stating that boys both bullied and got bullied more

frequently than girls. It tended to be more physical bullying in the younger years, but

became more verbal bullying in the senior years and was usually because of their

victim’s physical weakness and social connections. About 9 out of 10 LGBT teens have

reported being bullied at school within the past year because of their sexual orientation,

according to the most recent gay (bullying statistics. Out of those numbers, almost half

have reported being physically harassed followed by another quarter who reported

actually being physically assaulted.  Unfortunately most teens who experience bullying

of any kind are reluctant to share their experience or report the incident to a teacher or

trusted adult. Even more unfortunate are the gay statistics that report a lack of response

among those teachers and school administration. According to a recent statistic, out of
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the students that did report a harassment or bullying situation because of their

sexuality, about one third of the school staff didn't do anything to resolve the issue. As

mentioned above bullying seems to be related to standard socio-economic measures

such as family resources and ethnic origin as well as personal characteristics such as

personality traits, disabilities, physical appearance, and physical weakness/strength. To

the extent that these characteristics are fixed within a family, a mother fixed effects

estimator will account for them. (Eriksen, et. al, 2012)

Effects of bullied experiences

It is apparent from research into the effects of school bullying that there are

some characteristics relatively common to the recipients of bullying behavior. In a

meta-analysis of research into the effects of peer-victimization, Hawker and Boulton

(2000) found victims to be more depressed and to report more loneliness than non

victims. Victims also reported significantly greater levels of both general and social

anxiety and lower levels of self-esteem, than non-victims. In a Northern Ireland

study of 124 adolescents (11-16 years old) who were admitted to a hospital

following attempted suicide, 22% cited bullying as a precursor stressor (Davies &

Cunningham, 1999). However, it is important to note that bullying was not the only

problem these adolescents were dealing with, as 37% of respondents also stated that

they had recently fought with their parents and 44% stating that school pressures

such as exams or homework were additional major stressors. Australian research has
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also found suicidal ideation to be significantly related to peer victimization, with

Rigby (2001) finding that victims generally suffered from poorer psychosocial

health than non-victims. In addition, bullying may have serious long-term negative

effects. For example, a retrospective study by Rivers (2004) investigated the

13 recollections of adult lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals who were bullied at school as

a consequence of their sexual orientation (perceived or actual). Over 25% of

participants (N = 119, mean age 28 years) reported experiencing continuing

psychological distress when recollecting their time at school, with one in ten

reporting regular traumatic flashbacks (see also Rivers, 2001a, 2001b).

Returning to the theme of participant roles in bullying, a study carried out in

Finland (Kumpulainen, Räsänen, & Puura, 2001) compared the mental health of

bullies, victims, bully/victims, and those who were not involved in bullying ( n =

420). Employing a clinical diagnostic interview, 21% percent of non-involved

respondents were diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder (e.g., anxiety, depression,

attention deficit disorder), whereas 50.0% of victims, 67.1% of bully/victims, and

70.8% of bullies were diagnosed as having a psychiatric disorder. Attention deficit

disorder was most common among victims (14.4%) and bullies (29.2%), with

oppositional conduct disorder most common among bully/victims (21.5%).

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Depression was also common amongst victims (9.6%) and bullies (12.5%), and highest

among bully/victims (17.7%). In comparison, only 5.1% of the non-involved group were

diagnosed with depression. Bullying behaviors continue to have a negative affects upon

both the victims of bullies and the bully. According to the Center for the Study and

Prevention of Violence, there are both short and long term affects for the victims, the

bullies, and the school climate as a whole. (U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services, 2001) The short-term effects that victims of bullying often experience include

painful and humiliating reaction that can lead to distress, confusion, and overall

unhappiness. (Burger, 2005) Many victims of bullying also experience loss of self-

esteem, anxiety issues, and feelings of insecurity. This lack of security usually interferes

with an individual’s learning ability and concentration level. Ultimately bullying victims

lack the ability to learn, because of safety issues. These individuals feel threatened and

don't feel safe, therefore they can't succeed in school and they often sabotage their own

learning with frequent absences and poor school attendance. Many times victims will

develop psychosomatic 15 symptoms, such as stomach aches and headaches that

interfere with their ability to attend school regularly. A long-term effect of bullying

behaviors on victims is low self-esteem. There is a high correlation between students

who are bullied and poor mental health. Many times these students are withdrawn,

worried, fearful of new situations, and are in reverted. Victims of bullying have very few,

if any good friends and they are often lonely. Many victims of bullies drop out of school

due to lack of school satisfaction. Their school environment is so intolerable that they
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sacrifice their education for daily relief from their tormentors. The inability to obtain

their high school diploma has lifelong effects that impact the rest of their lives. Bully

victims also tend to have higher levels of depression later in life than non-victimized

peers. In severe cases victims of bullying will suffer from depression that may result in

violent acts or suicide. (McIntyre, 2003). Bullying can have long-term academic,

physical, and emotion consequences on bullies, their victims, and bystanders. The

incidence of bullying at schools has a negative impact on students’ opportunity to learn

in an environment that is safe and secure and where they

are treated with respect (Shellard and Turner, 2004; Lumsden, 2002)

Bullied experiences and academic performance

Victims often have difficulty concentrating on their schoolwork and may

experience a decline in academic performance. They have higher than normal

absenteeism and dropout rates and may show signs of loneliness. They have trouble

making social and emotional adjustments, difficulty making friends, and poor

relationships with classmates. They often suffer humiliation, insecurity, and loss of self-

esteem and may develop a fear of going to school. The impact of frequent bullying can

accompany victims into adulthood, where they appear to be at greater risk of depression

and other mental health problems (Shellard, 2002; Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention, 2001). Studies documenting the negative impact of bullying on

students have found that fifteen percent of victims are “severely traumatized or

distressed” by their encounters with bullies (Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory,

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2001). Twenty-two percent of grades 4-8 students and 14 percent of grades 8-12

students report having difficulties they attribute to mistreatment by their peers and 10

percent of students who dropped out of school say they did so because of bullying

( Weinhold and Weinhold, 1998; Hoover and Oliver, 1996). Numerous research reports

document the relationship between bullying and a variety of academic, social and

mental health issues. Eisenberg and Neumark-Sztainer (2003) found that peer

harassment, i.e. bullying, is negatively related to connection to school and academic

achievement. The authors point out that students who are bullied are more likely to

miss school which in turn adds to being disconnected and missing educational

opportunities. Gronna and Selvin (1999) analyzed achievement scores from 46 schools

and found that after controlling for student characteristics, that school safety was

significantly related to math and reading standard scores among eighth graders. Bullying

behaviors also impact and affect the overall school's social climate. As previously stated

the school atmosphere lacks an element of safety for many students. This hostile

environment is one reason for increase of school 16 drop out and truancy rates. Besides

safety reasons individuals, who are victims of bullying may lack a feeling of school

satisfaction, which may be another factor for increase in drop out and truancy rates.

Either way, both threaten an individual's ability to achieve success in school in a safe,

caring, community of learners where students feel accepted.(Baier, 2007).

Intervention for bullying

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The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, developed and refined in Norway in

the 1980s, is still the best known initiative for reducing bullying (U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services, 2004; American Federation of Teachers, 2000; Starr, 2000;

Olweus and Limber, 1999). The program is designed to raise awareness, improve peer

relations, intervene to stop intimidation, develop clear rules against bullying behavior,

and support and protect victims. School staff, teachers, parents, members of the

community, bullies, victims, and the silent majority of students are all involved in the

program. The defining characteristics of Olweus’ program are that primary responsibility

for solving problems is placed upon the adults at the school (rather than on parents or

students), the entire school population is targeted (not just a few problem students)

with both individual oriented and systems-oriented components, and the program is a

permanent component of the school environment, not a temporary remedial program.

The program intervenes on three levels:

School. The faculty surveys students anonymously to determine the nature and

prevalence of the school’s bullying problem. Supervision of students is increased

during breaks, and school wide assemblies are conducted to discuss bullying

issues. A conference is held to educate teachers, administrators, students, parents,

and community members about bullying, response strategies, and available

resources. Teachers receive additional training on how to implement the program.

A coordinating committee is formed to manage the program, typically comprised of

an administrator, teacher from each grade level, guidance counselor, psychologist,

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and parent and student representatives. Ongoing meetings and discussions about

bullying issues take place at regularly scheduled staff meetings and between

parents and school staff.

Classroom. Teachers introduce and enforce classroom rules against bullying,

hold regular classroom meetings with students to discuss bullying, and meet with

parents to encourage their participation. There are immediate consequences for

aggressive behavior and immediate rewards for inclusive behavior.

Individual. School staffs intervene with bullies, victims, and their parents to stop

bullying through role-playing activities and serious discussions. Evaluations have found

the program to be highly effective at the elementary and middle school levels, with

bullying dropping by 50 percent or more during the first two years of program

implementation (although most applications of the program achieve improvements in

the 20 to 30 percent range). The program has been shown to improve school climate

and lead to a decrease in the rate of antisocial behavior. Some studies found that

behavioral changes became more pronounced the longer the program was in effect

(Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2001; American Federation of

Teachers, 2000; Olweus and Limber, 1999). Since bullying behaviors are a common

problem in schools today, it is essential that all schools create an active and ongoing

prevention and intervention program to combat bullying. Even though it is ideal to

prevent bullying behaviors before they start, it is also fundamental to intervene when

incidences of bullying occur. It is also essential to include an intervention policy that is

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Extension Campus at Himamaylan City
Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental
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not solely based on punishment. It is important to provide consequences for bullying

behaviors, but it is also crucial to incorporate a counseling component that provides

bullies with the tools to learn a new behavior. Since many bullying behaviors are

learned, bullies need to learn a new set of pro-social behaviors that do not negatively

impact those around them. For any bullying prevention program to be successful it is

necessary for each school to have a clear and easily understood philosophy that

promotes a safe and positive environment. This philosophy should start during the early

childhood years and continue throughout high school. Three values which promote a

positive climate and develop a basis for a bullying prevention program include the belief

that all children can learn, people should be treated with violence in the school. (Orpinas

& Home, 2006. p. 85) Every child has the ability to learn academic material and the

behavioral skills to develop positive relationships. Even bullies who have repetitive

patterns of bullying can change when given the proper resources. On the other hand,

children who are not supplied with new effective tools will use what they know and they

will continue to use aggressive tactic. The second value that schools need to maintain to

combat bullying is to maintain that "all people in the school community deserve to be

treated with respect and dignity." (Orpinas & Home, 2006. p. 86) Children who are not

treated with respect will in return treat other with a lack of respect. If children are

expected to be respectful of other students and teachers, then they must also be

treated by teachers and other students with the same respect and dignity. To reduce

bullying behaviors teachers and other adults must model and set the tone for
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Extension Campus at Himamaylan City
Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental
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reciprocating behaviors that show respect and dignity for all people in the school

community. Finally the third school value that helps promote a positive school climate is

to adopt a zero tolerance policy for violence, aggression, and bullying. These types of

behaviors are not acceptable in school. Both students and teachers are held accountable

for maintaining a pro-social environment. Aggression towards teachers and students is

an unacceptable behavior for both students and teachers alike. Again, teachers need to

practice and model pro-social behaviors with their students, as well as with the

colleagues that they work with. Therefore it is crucial that all staff members create and

maintain a positive working community to ensure the success 22 of a positive climate at

school. Without the full support of the school community we are helpless to effectively

fight the war against bullies and bullying behaviors. Teachers and students are not the

only ones, who need to be aware of bullying behaviors and how to change them. It is

also essential for parents to be aware of their child's school policies and philosophies

about bullying behaviors. Since many of these bullying behaviors are learned, it is crucial

that schools rely on families to help reinforce pro-social behaviors. Many times many

parent are unaware of the child's school policies or the fact that their child may be a

bully or a victim of bullying. Many times victims of bullying do not inform their parents of

abuses that they are suffering at school. Many times these students don't want to be

viewed as incompetent of fixing their problems or as inadequate.

They may also worry about the threat of the bullying finding out and retaliating

against them, or perhaps they don't want to burden their parents or make them worry.
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Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental
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It is clear that a school approach must be taken to combat bullying behaviors that

involves administrators, teacher, school staff, parents, students, and even community

members. The support of the entire community is required. The parents of the bully and

the victim of bullying need to be included to provide training and education. Awareness

is another critical requirement for school to combat bullying behaviors in schools. If a

school is unaware of a bullying problem, it is impossible for such an incident to be

resolved. Whether teachers or administrators are in denial about a problem or whether

they are unaware of a problem; it still remains an unresolved issue for students. To

simply be aware of 23 the problem is also futile in an attempt to resolve issues with

bullying. Unfortunately many schools may believe that awareness means a resolution.

This erroneous thought only identifies that there is problem. It obviously doesn't solve

the problem. Schools need to be honest with themselves and the ability of their school

to create a safe and positive environment for the students. School administrators and

teachers must also take an active approach to physical monitoring of children and

remain constantly vigilant to prevent bullying behaviors within their schools. Not only do

teachers need to have a clear understanding of bullying behaviors, but students need to

be aware of bullying behaviors and how to combat them in their school. Children need

to be provided with the training to become socially competent. Children who are more

socially competent have skills that allow them to be more competent to solve conflicts

without violence, resist negative peer pressure, make friends, and have future plan.

(Orpinas, Home, 2006. p. 108) Children who are socially competent have an awareness
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Extension Campus at Himamaylan City
Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental
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of unacceptable behaviors, such as bullying. They also have the emotional base to

recognize and empathize with other's feelings and the character development to show

respect for others. Children who are socially competent are also able to identify positive

and negative consequences for their choices. Socially competent children are obviously

less likely to engage in bullying behaviors. Therefore it is important to provide training,

resources, and other tools to enhance and nurture social competence in all children.

Chapter 3

Research Design and Methodology

Chapter Three consists of three parts: (1) Purpose of the Study and Research

Design, (2) Method, and (3) Data Analysis Procedure.

Part One, Purpose of the Study and Research Design, restates the purpose of the

study and outlines the plan employed in the conduct of the study.

Part Two, Method, describes the participants, data gathering materials, and the

research procedure employed.

Part Three, Statistical Data Analysis, explains the procedure for analyzing the

data gathered.

Purpose of the Study and Research Design

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that affect the bullying

experiences in order to understand why victims are being bullied. it also wants to notify
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the school, parents and other stakeholders to the possible affect of bullying experiences

on the academic performance of those victims.

Method

Respondent of the Study

The respondents of this study are the Grade IV students of Himamaylan Central

School. Respondents will be obtained through using the random sampling.

Procedure of the Conduct of the study

Research Instrument

The researcher will use a checklist that will determine the commonly used types

of lying and its reasons for lying usually occur in Grade six pupils when they are group

according to academic performance, gender and daily allowance.

Data Gathering Procedure

In gathering the data, the researchers will use a researcher- made instrument

that will find out thecommonly used types of lying and its reasons for lying in Grade 6

pupils and the checklist consist of two parts.The first part will be the personal

information about the pupils and the second part will be the checklist about the

commonly used types of lying and its reasons for lying in Grade 6 pupils.

The researcher will ask permission to the school principal, adviser and to the

Grade 6 pupils through a letter.

The researcher will be assured of the confidentiality of the results.

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Extension Campus at Himamaylan City
Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental
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Statistical Data Analysis Procedure

The data gathered will be subjected to appropriate descriptive and inferential

statistics.

Mean. Mean scores from the pre-test and post-test of the control and

experimental group will be determined to find out the level of the changes that happens

to the Consciousness Quotient and Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Relationship level of

the participants after being subjected to the two different conditions.

Standard Deviation. Standard deviations will be utilized to determine the

dispersion of the means.

T-test for Independent Samples. This will be employed to determine whether

the observed differences in the mean of the pretest and posttest in the two measures is

statistically significant. Alpha level will be set at .05 .

All statistical computations were computer-processed through the Statistical

Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software.

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Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental
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Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental
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I. Personal Information

As you are answering the questions, remember that this questionnaire is

totally anonymous. We do not ask you to give your name and nobody will be
able to find out who has answered each questionnaire. We ask you to please
answer the questions honestly and carefully.

Please complete the following and then begin the questionnaire .

What is your age? ______ years

Gender (please tick (√) ) ______ Female ______ Male

Parents Educational Background:

Mother’s educational attainment (please tick (√) ):

elementary college

highschool not attended school

Father’s educational attainment (please tick (√) ):

elementary college

highschool not attended school

Monthly Income of both parents: (in pesos)

I. Bullying Experience
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Below is a list of things that some children do to other children. How often

during the last school year up to the present has another pupil done these things to

you? Please answer by putting a tick (√) that corresponds to your answer.

Not at More than

My Schoolmates/Classmates: Once
all once
1. Called me names
2. Tried to get me into trouble with my friends
3. Took something of mine without permission
4. Made fun of me because of my appearance
5. Made fun of me for some reason
6. Punched me
7. Kicked me
8. Hurt me physically in some way
9. Beat me up
10. Tried to break something of mine
11. Tried to make my friends turn against me
12. Stole something from me
13. Refused to talk to me
14. Made other people not talk to me
15. Deliberately damaged some property of
mine
16. Swore at me
17. Was rude about the way I looked
18. Said nasty things about my family
19. Got a gang on me
20. Stopped me playing a game
21. Spoiled my work
22. Tripped me up
23. Hid something of mine
24. Tried to hit me
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