Verbal Abuse Against Students in Philippine Schools: What the Law Says (and How It’s Applied)

Philippine legal context, written for school leaders, teachers, parents, and students. (General information only; not legal advice.)

1) A working legal definition

Philippine statutes and education policies don’t use a single universal definition of “verbal abuse,” but taken together they treat it as a form of psychological or emotional violence committed through words. In school settings, verbal abuse generally means:

Any oral or written utterance by a teacher, school personnel, student, or school visitor that humiliates, degrades, threatens, intimidates, insults, or otherwise causes emotional/psychological harm to a student, whether a single severe act or repeated conduct, in school, during school‐related activities, or through school-linked online channels.

This synthesis comes from the interaction of (a) child-protection laws, (b) anti-bullying rules, (c) anti-harassment statutes for educational institutions, and (d) professional and administrative standards for teachers and schools.

2) The legal building blocks

Below are the principal texts that schools and investigators actually rely on when assessing verbal abuse against students.

A. Child protection (general)

RA 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act): treats child abuse broadly as maltreatment that causes or is likely to cause physical, sexual, or psychological injury. Verbal attacks that degrade a child’s dignity or mental health may fall here, especially when committed by persons in authority (e.g., teachers) or where the child is under their custody or control.
DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2012 (Child Protection Policy): specifically prohibits acts by school personnel or students that result in or are likely to result in physical, sexual, or psychological harm. It recognizes threats, intimidation, harassment, humiliation, and degrading treatment—including verbal forms—as child abuse/violence in schools. It requires every basic-education school (public and private) to set up a Child Protection Committee (CPC), adopt procedures, and respond to reports.

B. Bullying (student-to-student, including online)

RA 10627 (Anti-Bullying Act of 2013) and DepEd Order No. 55, s. 2013 (IRR): define bullying to include verbal expressions—spoken, written, or electronic—that are severe or repeated and cause physical or emotional harm, fear, or a hostile school environment, or that substantially disrupt learning. Cyberbullying (messages, posts, chats) is included when school-related or school-affecting. Note: While RA 10627 focuses on student-to-student conduct, overlapping child-protection rules still apply if school personnel are involved.

C. Sexual and gender-based verbal harassment

RA 7877 (Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995): prohibits sexual harassment in work and education settings, covering verbal sexual advances or remarks by teachers or school staff toward students.
RA 11313 (Safe Spaces Act): strengthens and updates the above, prohibiting gender-based sexual harassment in educational institutions and online (e.g., catcalling, sexual comments, sexist slurs). Schools must create Committees on Decorum and Investigation (CODI) and spell out procedures and sanctions.

D. Protections for specific groups

RA 7277 as amended by RA 9442 (Magna Carta for Persons with Disability): penalizes verbal ridicule and vilification of persons with disability. If a student with disability is mocked or insulted because of the disability, even a single incident can be actionable.
PD 603 (Child and Youth Welfare Code): recognizes a child’s right to protection from conditions prejudicial to their development, often cited alongside RA 7610.

E. Professional and administrative standards

Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers (Board for Professional Teachers/PRC): requires teachers to treat learners with utmost professional respect and forbids insults, ridicule, or humiliating language. Violations may trigger PRC disciplinary action.
Civil Service rules (public schools): conduct like oppression, grave misconduct, discourtesy, or conduct prejudicial to the service can be charged administratively for verbal mistreatment of students.
School handbooks/Manuals (public and private): must incorporate the above frameworks; sanctions can include reprimand, suspension, exclusion/expulsion (for student offenders), and employment sanctions (for personnel).

3) What conduct typically qualifies as verbal abuse?

Insults, name-calling, and slurs (including those based on sex, gender, SOGIESC, disability, ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic status).
Humiliation (public shaming, reading grades aloud to embarrass, mockery, sarcasm meant to degrade).
Threats (of harm, grade retaliation, deportment marks, exclusion) and intimidation (shouting, menacing language).
Sexualized comments (body shaming, sexual jokes, propositions)—often covered by the Safe Spaces Act/sexual harassment rules.
Coercive or degrading “discipline” delivered through words (e.g., compelling humiliating statements).
Repeated taunts or hurtful nicknames that create a hostile environment.
Online equivalents tied to school (group chats, learning platforms, class pages), including pile-ons and doxxing with abusive commentary.

Single severe incidents (e.g., a credible threat, a highly degrading slur) can be enough under child-protection or anti-harassment rules; bullying usually requires severe or repeated conduct and a harm/hostile-environment effect.

4) Who can be liable?

Teachers and school personnel: under RA 7610, DepEd Child Protection Policy, Safe Spaces Act, Code of Ethics, and CSC/PRC rules; school employment policies apply in private schools.
Students: under RA 10627/IRR and school discipline codes (with preventive and restorative measures prioritized).
Third parties (service providers, visitors, coaches): covered by school policy and, where applicable, criminal/civil law.

5) Where and when it applies

On campus and during school-related activities (field trips, competitions, work immersions).
Online spaces tied to the school community (class group chats, LMS, school-affiliated social media), especially when there’s substantial disruption or hostile environment at school.
Off-campus incidents may still fall under child-protection or anti-harassment laws and can trigger school measures when school safety or student welfare is affected.

6) Elements investigators look for (quick tests)

Words used: Were they insulting, degrading, threatening, sexualized, or targeted at a protected attribute?
Target and context: Was the victim a student? Was there a power imbalance (teacher vs. student)?
Effect: Emotional/psychological harm, fear, humiliation, avoidance of school, interference with learning, or a hostile environment.
Frequency/severity: Repeated acts (bullying) or a single severe act (child protection/harassment).
Link to school: On campus, at school functions, or online but school-related/substantially disruptive.
Defenses raised: Instructional intent, academic feedback, classroom management—but these don’t excuse humiliating or threatening language.

7) Procedures and reporting (basic education – DepEd)

Immediate safety: Separate the parties if needed; provide psychosocial first aid.
Child Protection Committee (CPC): Receives complaints, conducts initial assessment, and recommends interventions.
Due process: Written notice of allegations, opportunity to respond, impartial fact-finding.
Interventions: Counseling, mediation (where appropriate), behavior contracts, restorative practices, and sanctions.
Escalation: Severe cases (e.g., threats, sexualized abuse, persistent harassment) may be referred to the Schools Division Office, DSWD, or PNP-WCPD, and may proceed to PRC (for teachers) or criminal/civil complaints.
Confidentiality and non-retaliation: Complainants and witnesses should be protected from reprisals.

(Higher education institutions use parallel processes, typically via a Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI) under the Safe Spaces Act/anti-sexual-harassment rules. TVET institutions follow TESDA and school policies aligned with national laws.)

8) Sanctions and remedies

School-level: reprimand, written apology, guidance/counseling, suspension, exclusion/expulsion (for student offenders), and employment discipline up to dismissal (for personnel).
Administrative:
- PRC (teachers): suspension or revocation of license for ethics violations.
- Civil Service (public schools): penalties for oppression/misconduct/discourtesy, etc.
Criminal:
- RA 7610 for child abuse (psychological injury through abuse/ cruelty),
- RA 11313/RA 7877 for sexual/gender-based harassment,
- RA 9442 for ridicule of PWDs. Penalties range from fines to imprisonment; precise ranges depend on the statute charged and case facts.
Civil: Damages for injury to feelings, mental anguish, or besmirched reputation under the Civil Code; protection orders may be available in certain contexts.
Support: Psychological services, academic adjustments, and safety plans for affected students.

9) Evidence and documentation (practical notes)

Contemporaneous notes: dates, times, exact words, witnesses, effects on the student (e.g., anxiety, school avoidance).
Digital evidence: screenshots of messages/chats (with headers/time stamps), platform URLs.
Witness statements: concise and factual.
Recordings: The Philippines has an Anti-Wiretapping Act (RA 4200) that restricts covert audio recordings of private communications; consult counsel before recording conversations.
School records: incident reports, referrals, guidance notes, notices, and resolutions.

10) Distinguishing firm discipline from verbal abuse

Legitimate pedagogy allows clear, even stern, feedback about behavior or performance. It crosses into verbal abuse when it becomes humiliating, threatening, insulting, discriminatory, or degrading, or when it needlessly exposes a student to ridicule. The Code of Ethics and DepEd policy expect teachers to correct conduct, not attack a child’s dignity.

11) Sample policy language schools can adopt (model clause)

Verbal Abuse (Prohibited). Verbal abuse is any oral or written expression, including online, by any member of the school community that humiliates, degrades, threatens, intimidates, or insults a student; includes name-calling, slurs, demeaning remarks, shouting intended to humiliate, sexualized comments, and threats of harm or retaliation. A single severe incident or repeated acts may constitute a violation. This policy applies on campus, during school-related activities, and in school-linked online spaces. Sanctions and Support. Violations shall be addressed through age-appropriate interventions and sanctions consistent with RA 7610, RA 10627 and its IRR, RA 11313/RA 7877, RA 9442, DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2012, and the school’s handbook. The school will provide protective and psychosocial measures for affected students and protect complainants and witnesses from retaliation.

12) Quick checklists

For administrators

Do we have a Child Protection Committee/CODI that’s trained and active?
Are our handbooks updated to reflect RA 7610, RA 10627 (IRR), RA 11313, RA 9442, and DepEd Order No. 40?
Are reporting channels clear, confidential, and accessible (including for online incidents)?
Do we keep timely records and provide support services?

For teachers and staff

Avoid sarcasm, public shaming, or threats; correct behavior privately where feasible.
Use behavior-specific, respectful feedback; document serious incidents neutrally.
Refer at-risk or affected students to guidance and inform the CPC when required.

For parents and students

Report concerns promptly in writing; attach screenshots or notes.
Ask for interim measures (seat changes, counseling, class transfers) where needed.
Keep communications factual; avoid online retaliation or public call-outs that could complicate the case.

13) Key takeaways

“Verbal abuse” in Philippine schools is treated as psychological violence across multiple laws and policies.
Words matter: insults, humiliation, threats, and sexualized comments are prohibited—even once, if severe; repeated acts often qualify as bullying.
Liability may be school-level, administrative, criminal, and civil.
Schools must maintain clear procedures (CPC/CODI), protect students, and ensure due process for all involved.

As of my latest update (2024), these are the controlling principles. Laws, rules, and local issuances can change and may vary in implementation. If you’d like, tell me your school level (basic/HEI/TVET) and I can tailor a one-page policy insert or a flowchart for your reporting process.