Students' Awareness of Cyberbullying and its Perceived Effects to Learners of Jose Lopez Manzano National High School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Cyberbullying is a form of online maltreatment. In Jose Lopez Manzano National High School, cyberbullying incidents involving students is referred to the guidance office to conduct thorough investigation and to provide intelligent measures that are essential both to the bully and the victim. The researcher thinks that even though this kind of incident are rare in occurrence, the school must have a concrete plan of action.

METHODS

This study utilized the descriptive method of research. This study focused on cyberbullying and its impact to personality traits and academic performance of the students. The method used in selecting the respondents was random purposive sampling. The data were gathered from one hundred (100) students of Jose Lopez Manzano National High School.

RESULTS

The following results were gathered; (1) most of the respondents were on their teen years and majority of them were female, (2) majority of the respondents were aware of the different forms of cyber harassment which is also a form of cyberbullying and also aware of the different ways to face cyberbullies, (3) majority of the respondents were aware of the effects of cyberbullying in values and behavior and also they were aware of the effects of cyberbullying in their academic performance, (4) there was no significant relationship between respondents' awareness and their profile variables and there is no significant relationship between the perceived effects of cyberbullying and profile variables of the respondents, (5) cybersafety friendly web program was designed to give enough information and guidance regarding the awareness of the respondents in cyberbullying.

DISCUSSIONS

The following recommendations are offered;

(1)

The school administration should formulate cyberbullying prevention programs that will define cyberbullying in its simplest language understood by the teachers, parents and students since this form of bullying includes several technical terms that involve the cyberspace. The program should also include strong policies in place to counter act cyberbullying in the school.

(2)

School staff along with the parents and students should be trained through seminars about cyberbullying policies and interventions to be able identify cyberbullying when they witness it.

(3)

Employ In-School Internet Filtering technology to ensure enforcement through the help of ICT Coordinators.

(4)

A curriculum based program that purports efforts on how to address cyberbullying, a strategically learning approach must be employed by integrating cyberbullying lessons in daily lesson logs at least twice a month in Inter-Collaborative Learning (ICL) periods.

(5)

Implementation of Cybersafety Friendly Web program incorporated in an action plan to be designed by the Guidance office that will serve as the school's legal basis in dealing with cyberbullying cases in JLMNHS.