MANILA -- Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Friday said schools and parents need to work more closely with children to address bullying and violence involving schoolchildren.
Sought by reporters to comment on online videos of an alleged mauling incident in a Quezon City school involving high school students, Guevarra said unabated similar incidents could leave youngsters scarred for life.
"These things happen everywhere, in private and public schools, in exclusive and non-exclusive schools. The school administration and the parents have the principal responsibility to address this concern; sensitive care and understanding should be extended to those young children who commit and/or are at the receiving end of these acts, lest they be psychologically or emotionally scarred forever," Guevarra said.
The DOJ chief urged the parents of the children involved to work closely with the school in handling the incident.
"I will advise them to address the situation internally, within the parameters of school policy and regulations. We are dealing with growing up and adolescent children lacking in maturity and discernment here. We need to exercise circumspection," Guevarra added. (PNA)
