Campus Friends Session Kit: An Innovation to Address Verbal Bullying Incidents and Boost the Level of Self-Esteem among Junior High School Students

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Verbal bullying in schools is just one of the major challenges faced by our institutions today. This study aimed to find out the level of verbal bullying experiences, the implications of verbal bullying to the students' relationship to others, feelings toward oneself and their performance in the class and the level of self-esteem among the Junior High School students of Consolacion Integrated School which will be the basis in developing an innovative Campus Friends Session Kit.

METHODS

The method employed in the study was the multi-method approach specifically quantitative-qualitative method of research to know the level of experiences on verbal bullying and to come up with an intervention program. The respondents of the study were the 50 Junior High School students in Consolacion Integrated School. The researchers used a survey questionnaire and focused group discussions to gather data while frequency count and weighted mean were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Findings revealed the students sometimes experienced verbal bullying and it affects their social, emotional and mental aspects and it has been found also that the students only have high self-esteem sometimes. It has turned out that verbal bullying affects the students' emotional, social and mental aspects.

DISCUSSIONS

Based on the results, it has been found that verbal bullying exists in the school. In fact, according to recent reports, 25% to 30% of school-age children are being bullied at school (National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2010). Students were experiencing verbal bullying sometimes and it affects their mental, emotional and social aspects. It has also been found that the students have high self-esteem sometimes. And, with the problem found, Campus Friends Session Kit was crafted as an innovation.