Bullying: Parents may be held liable for incidents outside schools

Bullying remains a persistent issue affecting especially children and the youth.

On Monday, news broke about Alfred Vargas and his wife, Yasmine, filiing a complaint against the parents of a minor, who allegedly bullied and abused their son during swimming training.

According to the couple, the parents of the alleged bully violated the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act and failed in their legal duty under the Family Code to supervise and discipline their child.

In an April 2025 episode of “Unang Hirit,” Atty. Gabby explained that if an incident occurs outside a school setting, the liability generally falls on the parents of the minor involved.

“Take note na kung ang bullying ay nangyari sa labas ng paaralan at hindi na mga teachers ang nagbabantay at hindi school activity, ang usual rule pa rin ay mga magulang ng menor de edad ang siyang mananagot,” she said.

[Take note that if the bullying happened outside the school and teachers are no longer supervising the kids and it's no longer a school activity, the usual rule is the parents of the minors will be held accountable.] 

This means that when bullying occurs beyond school premises and outside school-supervised activities, parents may be held accountable for their children’s actions.

“Ang mga magulang ay may obligasyong turuan at gabayan ang mga anak para hindi maging bully,” she said.

[It's the parents who are obligated to teach and guide their kids not to become bullies.]

If the bullying happens within school premises, the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 protects students.

The law mandates all elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies to prevent and address acts of bullying within their institutions.

It defines bullying as “any severe or repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal, or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another student that has the effect of actually causing or placing the latter in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to property.”

Under the law, school administrators who fail to comply may face administrative sanctions. Private schools, on the other hand, risk losing their permits to operate.

In March, senators raised the possibility of imposing penalties on parents whose children bully their classmates, including requiring them to perform community service in schools. The proposal emerged as lawmakers reviewed government measures to address the country’s persistent bullying problem. — LA, GMA News