Perceptions on Bullying Incidents of Senior High School Students in selected Public School in Buhi, Camarines Sur: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Bullying remains a persistent barrier to student safety, well-being, and academic success, yet few studies focuses the first-hand perspectives of learners to inform responsive interventions. This qualitative research explored how Senior High School students in selected public school in Buhi, Camarines Sur on perceived bullying, its forms, root causes, impacts, existing school responses, and recommended solutions. Data were gathered through in-depth individual interviews with 12 purposively selected participants, and it was analysed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that students define bullying as an intentional, repeated harmful act marked by power imbalance, encompassing physical, verbal, social, and increasingly pervasive cyberbullying forms. Participants attributed bullying to overlapping personal, social, and environmental factors, and emphasized its damaging effects on victims, witnesses, perpetrators, and the overall school climate. Most incidents go unreported due to fear of retaliation, stigma, and lack of trust in outcomes; existing school responses were viewed as inconsistent, slow, or only temporarily effective. Students advocated for clear, fairly enforced policies, confidential reporting channels, empathy-building activities, improved access to guidance services, and stronger home-school collaboration.