A practitioner-oriented overview (Philippine context)

Quick note: This article summarizes key Philippine statutes, rules, and remedies touching harassment and psychological abuse. Laws evolve and precise application depends on facts; consult a Philippine lawyer or relevant authorities for advice on a specific case.

1) Big picture

“Harassment” and “psychological abuse” in the Philippines are not a single crime but a cluster of punishable acts spread across the Revised Penal Code (RPC) and special laws. The framework protects people in public spaces, online, at work or school, and inside the home, with criminal, administrative, and civil remedies available in parallel.

2) Core statutes and where they apply

A. Gender-based and sexual harassment

RA 7877 (Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995). Covers work, education, and training environments when someone in authority, influence, or moral ascendancy demands or engages in sexual conduct, or creates a hostile/offensive environment. Employers and school heads must adopt policies, procedures, and sanctions; non-compliance has consequences (including administrative liability).
RA 11313 (Safe Spaces Act, 2019). Penalizes gender-based sexual harassment (GBSH) in streets/public spaces, workplaces, schools, and online (including stalking, unwelcome advances, lewd remarks/gestures, catcalling, image-based abuse, doxxing with misogynistic/sexist content). Obligations:
- Workplaces/Schools: Establish a CODI (Committee on Decorum and Investigation), adopt codes, conduct training, provide reporting channels, protect complainants from retaliation.
- Local Governments/Transport operators/Establishments: Post anti-GBSH policies, train personnel, coordinate with law enforcement.

B. Domestic/intimate partner abuse (including psychological)

RA 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004). Criminalizes physical, sexual, economic, and psychological violence by a husband, former husband, or a person with whom the woman has or had a sexual or dating relationship, or with whom she has a common child; also protects the woman’s child. Psychological violence includes intimidation, stalking, repeated verbal/emotional abuse, public humiliation, harassment, and acts causing mental or emotional anguish. Remedies include Barangay/Temporary/Permanent Protection Orders (BPO/TPO/PPO) with swift issuance and broad relief (stay-away, custody, support, firearm surrender, etc.). Conciliation/mediation is not required and is generally barred for VAWC.

C. Children and students

RA 10627 (Anti-Bullying Act of 2013). Requires all elementary/secondary schools to adopt anti-bullying policies, covering cyberbullying and acts causing intimidation or emotional/psychological harm, with due-process steps and graduated sanctions.
Child-specific laws (often overlapping with harassment/psych abuse):
- RA 11648 (2022) raised the age of sexual consent to 16 and tightened protections around acts of lasciviousness/sexual exploitation.
- RA 9775 (Anti-Child Pornography Act) and RA 11930 (Anti-OSAEC and Anti-CSAEM, 2022) penalize online/ICT-facilitated sexual abuse/exploitation of children, including grooming and coercive conduct.

D. Online conduct & privacy

RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012). Elevates certain offenses when committed through ICT (e.g., libel, identity theft, illicit access/interference). Online harassment can also be prosecuted under this law when it takes recognized criminal forms (defamation, threats, etc.), often in addition to Safe Spaces Act violations.
RA 9995 (Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act). Criminalizes non-consensual capture, copying, distribution, or publication of intimate images—even if the subject consented to the act being recorded but not to its distribution.
RA 10173 (Data Privacy Act of 2012). Prohibits unauthorized processing and disclosure of personal information. Doxxing and non-consensual publication of personal data may trigger administrative sanctions by the National Privacy Commission and, in certain cases, criminal liability.

E. Revised Penal Code provisions commonly used

Unjust vexation / light coercions (Art. 287) – catch-all for acts that annoy, distress, or humiliate without lawful cause.
Grave/coercions (Arts. 286–287) – preventing a person by violence/intimidation from doing something not prohibited by law, or compelling them to do something against their will.
Threats (Arts. 282–283), serious slander (oral defamation) and slander by deed, libel (Arts. 353 et seq.).
Acts of lasciviousness and related sexual offenses—especially when the conduct has a sexual element that produces fear, intimidation, or distress.

3) What counts as “psychological abuse”?

The concept appears across laws but is clearest under RA 9262 and RA 11313. Typical behaviors:

Stalking, surveillance, and controlling behaviors (physical or digital).
Threats, intimidation, humiliation, gaslighting, and consistent verbal/emotional abuse.
Public shaming and reputational harms, including online mobs and non-consensual disclosures.
Economic control (RA 9262 also covers economic abuse) that causes mental anguish.
Sexualized harassment causing fear or emotional distress (Safe Spaces Act; RPC).

Elements vary by statute. For RA 9262 psychological violence, for example, proof often centers on a relationship covered by the law, acts of abuse, and resulting mental/emotional anguish—commonly established through the victim’s testimony, corroboration by family/friends, documentary/ digital evidence, and sometimes psychological evaluation.

4) Penalties, aggravating factors, and cumulative liability

Criminal penalties range from fines to imprisonment (light, correctional, afflictive), with higher penalties for ICT-facilitated offenses (e.g., cybercrime) and child victims.
Civil damages (moral, exemplary, temperate/actual) may be awarded in criminal actions or in separate civil suits (Civil Code Arts. 19, 20, 21, 26 on abuse of rights and privacy).
Administrative/accountability:
- Employers/Schools/LGUs can face sanctions for failing to prevent, investigate, or address harassment under RA 7877/11313 and their IRRs or agency rules (DOLE, CSC, CHED, DepEd).
- Professionals and civil servants may be disciplinable under PRC/CSC rules.
Overlap is common: One act can trigger multiple liabilities (e.g., GBSH under RA 11313 and libel/cybercrime; RA 9262 and RPC threats).

5) Reporting channels and protection mechanisms

Immediate safety first. If there is danger, contact PNP (Women and Children Protection Center/Desks), NBI, or the nearest barangay.

VAWC (RA 9262): Apply for BPO at the barangay (same day issuance possible), or TPO/PPO at the Family Court/RTC. These orders can mandate separation, stay-away, custody, support, firearm surrender, and other reliefs. Violating a Protection Order is a separate offense.
GBSH (RA 11313):
- Public spaces/online: Complaints may be filed with the barangay, PNP, or city/municipal prosecutors.
- Workplaces/Schools: Report to CODI/HR/administration; institutions must investigate, protect complainants, and impose sanctions.
Online offenses:
- NBI-CCD or PNP-ACG for cybercrime; preserve digital evidence.
- National Privacy Commission for personal-data violations (Data Privacy Act).
- Platform reports (takedowns) complement but don’t replace legal remedies.
Children/Students: Report to school officials per Anti-Bullying Act; when crimes or child abuse are involved, escalate to DSWD, PNP-WCPC, or prosecutors.

6) Evidence: building a strong case

Document everything: screenshots (include URLs, timestamps), chat logs, emails, call logs, CCTV, wearables’ logs if relevant. Avoid altering metadata.
Keep a timeline/diary of incidents and impacts (sleep loss, anxiety, missed work).
Medical/psychological records: consult a physician/psychologist when distress is significant; reports can substantiate mental or emotional anguish.
Witnesses: co-workers/classmates/neighbors who observed behavior or its effects.
Access/device forensics: when stalking or spyware is suspected, consider expert examination.

7) Workplace and school procedures (what to expect)

CODI processes (under RA 11313 and agency rules; RA 7877 context) generally include:

Confidential intake and assessment (consider interim protection: no-contact, schedule/seat/shift changes).
Notice to respondent and a chance to respond; investigation hearings.
Findings and sanctions (from reprimand to dismissal/expulsion), separate from any criminal case.
Non-retaliation obligations; retaliation is itself punishable.
Record-keeping and reporting to oversight agencies when required.

8) Jurisdiction, venue, and prescription (time limits)

Venue often lies where the offense occurred or where the complainant resides (e.g., RA 9262 allows filing where the victim resides).
Prescription (filing deadlines) depends on the offense and penalty. Some are short (e.g., defamation-type offenses), others much longer (afflictive/correctional penalties and certain special laws). If timing is near a possible deadline, file promptly and consult counsel.

9) Defenses, due process, and risks of counter-liability

Due process applies: the respondent must be informed and given a chance to answer.
False or malicious complaints can have consequences (e.g., perjury, malicious prosecution, administrative sanctions). Conversely, retaliation against a complainant/witness can incur liability.
Speech vs. harassment: The Constitution protects speech, but threats, targeted harassment, obscenity, defamation, or discriminatory conduct can fall outside protection, especially in regulated spaces (work/school/public transit).

10) Practical playbooks

If you’re experiencing harassment/psychological abuse

Get to safety; tell someone you trust.
Preserve evidence; don’t confront through channels that auto-delete.
Consider a protection order (RA 9262 cases) or administrative complaint (RA 11313/CODI) alongside or before a criminal complaint.
Seek medical/psych care; ask for a medico-legal or psychological report if appropriate.
Ask about work/school accommodations (schedule changes, escorts, remote options).
For online abuse, report to platforms and law enforcement simultaneously.

If you manage a team or school unit

Maintain/uphold a written anti-harassment policy, clear reporting lines, CODI, and training (with periodic refreshers).
Offer interim measures (no-contact directives, workspace changes) without penalizing the complainant.
Ensure confidentiality, non-retaliation, and timely investigations with documented outcomes.

11) Special topics and tricky scenarios

Stalking without sexual content:
- May fall under GBSH (Safe Spaces Act) if gender-based, or under threats/coercions/unjust vexation in the RPC; when in intimate relationships, RA 9262.
Image-based abuse (“revenge porn”):
- Charge under RA 9995; if sexist/misogynistic framing is used, also RA 11313; if a minor is involved, child-protection laws apply regardless of “consent.”
Doxxing / privacy invasions:
- Potential Data Privacy Act and Safe Spaces Act issues; preserve archives and file with NPC and law enforcement.
Company chat tools and BYOD phones:
- Employer policies should clarify monitoring limits and reporting pathways; harassment via official tools can create employer liability if not addressed.

12) Remedies matrix (at a glance)

Context	Criminal	Civil	Administrative
Public/online gender-based harassment	RA 11313; RPC (threats, defamation); RA 10175 aggravation	Damages under Civil Code	LGU/agency sanctions; platform takedowns
Workplace/school sexual harassment	RA 7877 / RA 11313; RPC where applicable	Damages; breach of duty	CODI sanctions; DOLE/CSC/CHED/DepEd actions
Domestic/intimate partner psychological abuse	RA 9262 + Protection Orders	Damages; support, custody	Sanctions for violating POs; employer leave accommodations
Children (bullying, online exploitation)	RA 10627 (admin/discipline); RA 11930/9775/other crimes	Damages; protective relief	School discipline; DSWD actions

13) Compliance checklists

Employers/Schools (minimums):

Written policy (definitions, scope, examples, sanctions, non-retaliation).
CODI with trained members; multiple reporting channels (anonymous allowed where feasible).
Intake templates, investigation timelines, documentation standards.
Annual training; onboarding coverage; postings/signage (Safe Spaces Act).
Clear no-contact/interim relief mechanisms.
Data-privacy-compliant handling of case files.

Individuals:

Save copies (original quality) of messages, screenshots, call logs.
Keep a diary of incidents and symptoms; get medical/psych support.
Identify witnesses and safe reporting routes.
Consider legal aid (PAO for qualified persons) or women/children’s desks.

14) Frequently asked questions

Is there a standalone “anti-stalking” law? Not as a single general statute. Stalking is addressed through RA 9262 (when intimate-partner related), RA 11313 (gender-based stalking, including online), and relevant RPC offenses.

Can men file under RA 9262? RA 9262 primarily protects women and their children. Male victims of intimate partner abuse may proceed under the RPC, RA 11313 (if gender-based), civil actions, and protection mechanisms outside RA 9262.

Is mediation allowed in VAWC? No. VAWC cases are generally not subject to mediation/conciliation, and compromise is discouraged/prohibited given the power dynamics.

What if the harasser is anonymous online? File with NBI-CCD/PNP-ACG; they can request subscriber data/forensics subject to legal process. Also report to platforms and consider NPC complaints for privacy violations.

Can one incident be both a work policy violation and a crime? Yes. Administrative action by HR/CODI does not bar criminal prosecution or civil suits.

15) Final takeaways

Philippine law provides layered protection against harassment and psychological abuse across home, work/school, public spaces, and online.
RA 9262 (psychological violence), RA 11313 (GBSH including online), and RA 7877 (work/school sexual harassment) are the cornerstones, supported by the Cybercrime Law, Data Privacy Act, Anti-Voyeurism, child-protection laws, and RPC offenses.
Success in prevention and enforcement depends on timely reporting, careful evidence preservation, and coordinated use of criminal, civil, and administrative remedies.

If you want, tell me your scenario (no names needed) and I can map it to the right law, remedies, and a step-by-step plan.