CHILD

PROTECTION
POLICY
 DEPED CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
DEPED ORDER NO. 40 SERIES 2012
(PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS

The best interest of the child shall be the paramount

consideration in all decisions and actions involving
children.
Exercise the special parental authority.
 DEPED HAS ADOPTED THE POLICY

To provide special protection to children who are gravely

threatened or endangered by circumstances which affect
their normal development and over which they have no
control, and
To assist the concerned agencies in their rehabilitation
To ensure such special protection from all forms of abuse
and exploitation.
DepEd recognizes the participatory rights of the child in
the formulation and implementation of policies.
Zero tolerance policy for any act of child abuse,
exploitation, violence, discrimination, bullying and other
forms of abuse
 CHILD

 below eighteen (18) years of age or

 those over but are unable to fullytake care of themselves or
protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or
discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or
condition; (RA 7610).
 pupils or students who may be eighteen (18) years of age or older
but are in school.
 PARENTS

biological parents
step-parents
adoptive parents
 common-law spouse or partner of the parent;
 CHILD ABUSE
Psychological or physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual
abuse and emotional maltreatment;
act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or
demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of a child as a
human being
unreasonable deprivation of the child’s basic needs for
survival, such as food and shelter; or
Failure to immediately give medical treatment to an
injured child resulting in serious impairment of his or her
growth and development or in the child’s permanent
incapacity or death (Sec. 3 [b], RA 7610)
 DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
CHILDREN
refers to an act of exclusion, distinction, restriction or
preference.
has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the
recognition, enjoyment or exercise by all persons, on an
equal footing, of all rights and freedoms
based on any ground such as age, ethnicity, sex, sexual
orientation and gender identity, language, religion,
political or other opinion, national or social origin,
property, birth, being infected or affected by Human
Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), being pregnant, being a
child in conflict with the law, being a child with disability
or other status or condition
 CHILD EXPLOITATION

Sexual Exploitation
 Economic Exploitation
 VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN
COMMITTED IN SCHOOLS
Physical violence
Psychological violence
Sexual violence
a) rape, sexual harassment, acts of lasciviousness,
making demeaning and sexually suggestive remarks,
physically attacking the sexual parts of the victim’s body;
 b) forcing the child to watch obscene publications and indecent shows or
forcing the child to do indecent sexual acts and/or to engage or be involved in,
the creation or distribution of such films, indecent publication or material;
c) acts causing or attempting to cause the child to engage in any sexual
activity by force, threat of force, physical or other harm or threat of physical or
other harm or coercion, or through inducements, gifts or favors.  
 Other acts of violence of a physical, sexual or psychological nature that are
prejudicial to the best interest of the child.
 BULLYING
 Threats to inflict a wrong upon the person, honor or property of the person or
on his or her family;
 Stalking or constantly following or pursuing a person in his or her daily
activities, with unwanted and obsessive attention;
 Taking of property;
 Public humiliation, or public and malicious imputation of a crime or of a vice
or defect, whether real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status,
or circumstance tending to cause dishonor, discredit or expose a person to
contempt
 Deliberate destruction or defacement of, or damage to the child’s property;
 Physical violence committed upon a student, which may or may not result to
harm or injury, with or without the aid of a weapon. Such violence may be in
the form of mauling, hitting, punching, kicking, throwing things at the
student, pinching, spanking, or other similar acts;
 Demanding or requiring sexual or monetary favors, or exacting money or
property, from a pupil or student; and
 Restraining the liberty and freedom of a pupil or student
 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, but not limited to texting, email,
instant messaging, chatting, internet, social networking websites
or other platforms or formats.
 CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

 Blows such as, but not limited to, beating, kicking, hitting,
slapping, or lashing, of any part of a child’s body, with or without
the use of an instrument such as, but not limited to a cane, broom,
stick, whip or belt;
 Strikingof a child’s face or head, such being declared as a “no
contact zone”;
 Pulling hair, shaking, twisting joints, cutting or piercing skin, dragging,
pushing or throwing of a child;
 Forcing a child to perform physically painful or damaging acts such as, but
not limited to, holding a weight or weights for an extended period and
kneeling on stones, salt, pebbles or other objects;
 Deprivation of a child’s physical needs as a form of punishment;
 Deliberate exposure to fire, ice, water, smoke, sunlight, rain, pepper, alcohol,
or forcing the child to swallow substances, dangerous chemicals, and other
materials that can cause discomfort or threaten the child’s health, safety and
sense of security such as, but not limited to bleach or insecticides, excrement
or urine
 Tying up a child;
 Confinement, imprisonment or depriving the liberty of a child;
 Verbal abuse or assaults, including intimidation or threat of bodily harm,
swearing or cursing, ridiculing or denigrating the child;
 Forcing a child to wear a sign, to undress or disrobe, or to put on anything
that will make a child look or feel foolish, which belittles or humiliates the
child in front of others;
 Permanent confiscation of personal property of pupils, students or learners,
except when such pieces of property pose a danger to the child or to others;
and
 Other analogous acts
 FOR THE SCHOOL HEADS, HERE ARE THE
FOLLOWING DUTIES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES:
 Ensurethe institution of effective child protection policies and
procedures, and monitor compliance thereof;
 Ensure that the school adopts a child protection policy;
 Ensure that all pupils, students or learners, school personnel,
parents, guardians or custodians, and visitors and guests are made
aware of child protection policy (Annex “C”).
 Organize and convene the Child Protection Committee for the
school;
 Conduct the capacity building activities for the members of the
Child Protection Committee and Guidance Counselors/Teachers;
 Conduct disciplinary proceedings in cases of offenses committed
by pupils, students or learners;
 Ensure that the participatory and other rights of children are
respected and upheld in all matters and procedures affecting their
welfare;
 Conduct the appropriate training and capability building activities on child
protection measures and protocols;
 Ensure that the school adopts a student Code of Conduct to be followed by
every pupil, student or learner while on school grounds, or when traveling to
and from school, or during a school-sponsored activity, and during lunch
period, whether on or off campus;
 Adopt such conflict resolution mechanisms that respect the rights of
indigenous peoples, provided that they conform to this Department Order and
they uphold the rights of the child;
 Coordinate with the appropriate offices and other agency or instrumentality
for appropriate assistance and intervention, as may be required in the
performance of its functions;
 Coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development or, the
appropriate government agencies or non-governmental organizations on a
Child Protection Hotline for reporting abuse, violence, exploitation,
discrimination, bullying and other similar acts and for counseling;
 Ensure that all incidents of abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination,
bullying and other similar acts are addressed in accordance with the
provisions of this Department Order
 RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES OF
PUPILS, STUDENTS, AND LEARNERS
 Comply with the school’s regulations, as long as they are in harmony with
their best interests.
 Conduct themselves in accordance with their levels of development,
maturity, and demonstrated capabilities, with a proper regard for the rights
and welfare of other persons;
 Respect another person’s rights regardless of opinion, status, gender,
ethnicity, religion, as well as everyone’s moral and physical integrity; and
 Observe the Code of Conduct for pupils, students and learners
 CHILD PROTECTION COMMITTEE

 School Head/Administrator – Chairperson

 Guidance Counselor/ Teacher – Vice Chairperson
 Representative of the Teachers as designated by the Faculty Club
 Representative of the Parents as designated by the Parents-
Teacher Association
 Representative
of pupils, students and learners as designated by
the Supreme Student Council
 Representative from the Community as designated by the Punong
Barangay, preferably a member of the Barangay Council for the
Protection of Children (BCPC)
 PROCEDURE IN HANDLING
BULLYING INCIDENTS IN SCHOOLS

 Upon the filing of a complaint or upon notice by a school personnel or

official of any bullying or peer abuse incident, the same shall be immediately
reported to the School Head.
 Inform the parents or guardian of the victim and the offending child, in a
meeting called for the purpose.
 The victim and the offending child shall be referred to the Child Protection
Committee for counseling and other interventions.
 Thepenalty of reprimand, if warranted, may be imposed by the
School Head in the presence of the parents or guardians.
 If bullying is committed for a second or subsequent time, after the
offending child has received counseling or other interventions, the
penalty of suspension for not more than one (1) week may be
imposed by the School Head, if such is warranted
 REQUIREMENTS OF DUE PROCESS
 The child and the parents or guardians must be informed of the complaint in
writing;
 The child shall be given the opportunity to answer the complaint in writing,
with the assistance of the parents or guardian;
 The decision of the school head must be in writing, stating the facts and the
reasons for the decision;
 The decision of the school head may be appealed, as provided in existing
rules of the Department
WHAT ACTS ARE PROHIBITED AND SHALL
BE PENALIZED IN ADMINISTRATIVE
PROCEEDINGS AS GRAVE OR SIMPLE
MISCONDUCT?

 Child abuse;
 Discrimination against children;
 Child Exploitation ;
 Violence Against Children in School;
 Corporal Punishment;
 Any analogous or similar acts
 In child abuse, violence, discrimination, exploitation, bullying or
peer abuse and other acts of abuse by a pupil, student or learners,
the identity or other information that may reasonably identify the
pupil, student or learner, whether victim or offender, shall be
withheld from the public to protect his or her privacy.
 On the other hand, the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers
protects the rights of teachers and no publicity shall be given to
any disciplinary action against a teacher during the pendency of
his or her case
 REFERENCES:
• https://www.coursehero.com/file/78275835/Child-
Protection-Poliicyppt/