RAZEALE G. RESULTAY, RUDJANE C. TUNAC, MARY JOY O. MACARAEG

Early Childhood Education Department, Social Sciences Department,

Pangasinan State University,

Quezon Blvd., Bayambang, Pangasinan,

PHILIPPINES

Abstract: - This study addresses the development and validation of an Anti-Bullying Bibliotherapy Intervention

(ABBI) Manual which espouses a form of Bibliotherapy that combines two types - developmental and

to measure internal consistency, that is, how closely related a set of items are as a group.

Key Words: - Bibliotherapy, Anti-Bullying, Intervention, Inclusive Education, Positive Discipline, Learner-to-

Learner Bullying, Misbehaviors.

Received: June 26, 2022. Revised: September 24, 2023. Accepted: October 25, 2023. Available online: December 13, 2023.

1 Introduction

Internationally, instances of violence can occur in

encompasses physical, psychological, and sexual

abuse, as well as instances of bullying, which can be

attributed to factors such as gender and societal

norms, as well as broader structural and contextual

influences like income inequality, deprivation,

marginalization, and conflict. According to the 2017

global status report by UNESCO, [3], on school

violence and bullying, violence encompasses any

type of physical aggression, whether it's carried out

by adults or other children, and is characterized by

issues like underperformance in academics or to

rectify misbehavior. Psychological violence

encompasses verbal and emotional harm, such as

isolating, rejecting, ignoring, insulting, spreading

rumors, fabricating falsehoods, using derogatory

language, subjecting others to ridicule, humiliation,

and threats, as well as employing psychological

punishments. These punishments are non-physical

but are designed to shame, belittle, single out,

threaten, intimidate, or mock a child or adolescent.

insecurity and fear, detrimental to the overall school

atmosphere and impinging upon students' right to

receive an education in a secure and non-threatening

environment.

delivering quality education, puts premium support

on positive discipline, inclusive education, child-

friendly schools, peace, and human rights education.

To educate the whole child, a learning environment

characterized as child-friendly and violence-free

and all-encompassing action plan aimed at

addressing various aspects of well-being,

environmental sustainability, and economic

prosperity while addressing the underlying

Filipino learner takes center stage. This initiative

places a strong emphasis on enhancing the learning

environment, going beyond the physical

infrastructure to ensure the presence of secure

spaces conducive to learning. Consequently, one of

the key components of Sulong Edukalidad is the

sustained improvement of the learning environment,

encompassing enhancements to physical facilities,

educational resources, and, most importantly, the

establishment of safe and nurturing school

future: a future characterized by stability, comfort,

and peace of mind. By the year 2040, we envision a

children's futures. Our families reside together in

homes we call our own, and we have the freedom to

move as we wish, supported and empowered by a

clean, efficient, and just government. According to,

[7], a child protection system comprises both formal

and informal structures, functions, and capabilities

assembled to prevent and respond to instances of

violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of

children. Every child is entitled to human dignity

and the preservation of their physical and

offenses, less has been manifested in interventions

involving teachers, guidance advocates, librarians,

and books. One approach they can employ in

classroom management is the use of bibliotherapy, a

method aimed at fostering personal growth and

development through the use of books. In its

simplest form, bibliotherapy entails choosing

reading materials that directly relate to an

individual's life circumstances, [8]. The study, [9],

investigated how bibliotherapy could be a means for

provides readers with an opportunity to enhance

their problem-solving abilities.

could be implemented as part of the school’s

school guidance counselor and/or teacher-designee

are responsible for conducting the intervention.

a frequently observed occurrence. In certain

research investigations, [10], this misconduct has

been linked to a lack of social skills, which in turn

leads to behavioral issues and subpar academic

performance. Teachers might have placed

excessive emphasis on how to respond when

children misbehave, leading them to view

Educators must be well-prepared in this regard,

equipped with a range of techniques that

actions. Although these factors cannot be directly

altered, having an understanding of them allows a

teacher to contextualize a student's "misbehavior"

and create learning environments that mitigate

rather than exacerbate its effects. This necessitates

the establishment of a trusting, psychologically

comfortable educational setting. For dedicated

teachers, valuing the student as an individual is just

as important as valuing them as a learner, [10]. In

most schools, one of the predominant problems

number of remedial readers but also addresses

learners’ misbehaviors.

Based on the aforementioned literature, the

present study provides further substantiation of prior

research outcomes pertaining to the benefits of

Bibliotherapy usage. Additionally, this research

delves into the complexities of school bullying

incidents, encompassing the identification of

common occurrences, their underlying causes,

existing countermeasures, and the development of a

an "Anti-Bullying Bibliotherapy Intervention

Manual" aimed at addressing the issue of bullying

within educational settings.

Banking on the premise that every child has the

become a happy, useful and active member of the

society.

by teachers: Verbal bullying, Physical bullying,

Gesture bullying, Exclusion bullying, Extortion

bullying, and Cyberbullying?

learner bullying and peer violence incidents by

teachers?

misbehaviors in the classroom?

appropriateness of each manual part such as the

session framework, bibliotherapy intervention

process, manual development process, assessment

tools, and important culture (as applied in the

measures or reliability coefficient) and the level of

internal consistency of the rater's score were used to

measure internal consistency. Furthermore, after the

final version of the content-validated manual, it was

again subjected to face validation to increase the

applicability of the manual to a larger population.

five children experienced bullying. As noted by,

[15], the issue of violence within schools has not

received significant attention in the Philippines.

Often than not, adults take such occurrences as a

with 64.7% of cases noted in the teacher's reports,

and peer relationship difficulties, as reported by

93.6% of parents.

Furthermore, 4 out of 10 children in Grades 1-3, and

a staggering 7 out of 10 students in higher grade

levels, have experienced verbal abuse from their

teachers. In addition, 36.53% of students in Grades

4-6 and 42.88% of high school students have

encountered verbal sexual harassment within the

school environment. Lastly, 11.95% of children in

Grades 4-6 and 17.60% of high school students have

reported experiencing inappropriate touching.

claiming it. The perceived major cause of learners’

misbehaviors is peer influence represented by 82%.

phenomenon can also have detrimental effects on

bullying. For instance, if bystanders react with

laughter when witnessing bullying, it conveys

support for the perpetrator rather than the victim.

When encouragement from an individual or group

results in feelings of discomfort, guilt, or a sense of

harming others' emotions, it is highly probable that

such behavior is causing someone to experience

that there are varying reasons as to why a child or a

person becomes the bully or being bullied. Research

suggests that bullying often takes place in the

company of peers, with peer behavior more inclined

to encourage rather than deter bullying behavior,

[20], [21]. Additionally, parental influences and

home environments can contribute to issues related

to bullying among children. Children who engage in

bullying behavior typically come from households

where aggression is a preferred method of problem-

solving, negative emotional attitudes like a lack of

warmth and involvement are prevalent, and children

are encouraged to retaliate when subjected to

tend to work together, and as they grow older, peer

dominance hierarchies become more prominent.

When there is a strong peer dominance hierarchy

during primary school, it becomes challenging for

victimized children to break free from being a

victim, [23].

Protective and remedial measures used to

correct the learners’ behavior problems shown in

Table 1 reveal that ninety-four percent of the

respondents opt to have a dialogue with the child. It

crucial component involves the creation of three

distinct committees within each school: a child

student council whose purpose is to facilitate pupil

communication, assist in their organization, and

tackle issues that concern them. Respondents in

Gabiana’s study, [25], revealed that the

interventions offered by teachers have proven to be

inadequate and fall short of providing the necessary

psychological support required by both the victims

of bullying and the bullies themselves. In the words

of one teacher, "I have witnessed a student being

bullied by peers, and my response was merely to

acknowledge that the impact of my intervention was

minimal." This situation can lead to frustration for

the children affected, their parents, and even the

school personnel, as teachers may have limited

expertise in addressing these psychological matters.

Therefore, there is a growing necessity to have

psychologists or guidance counselors available to

manage these delicate situations or to provide

teachers with training that equips them with the

knowledge and skills required to handle bullying-

and remedial measures employed by teachers in

school for the different bullying incidents, there are

more options to choose from which are positive and

non-violent discipline. However, only 3%

Thoughtfully chosen narratives can initiate

classroom dialogues, normalize difficulties, alleviate

feelings of isolation, demonstrate coping techniques,

establish clear behavioral norms, and provide a

sense of optimism. While there is limited research

explicitly supporting the effectiveness of

bibliotherapy in reducing bullying, many

researchers and professionals frequently advocate

the use of children’s books and stories as a means to

tackle this issue, [27].

shown in Table 1 revealed that conducting activities

in observance of the Anti-Bullying campaign is

children throughout the country. She pointed out the

continuous increase in the number of Filipino

children experiencing bullying. As a response to this

concern, the Department of Education (DepEd)

initiated its National Child Protection Summit in

collaboration with the United Nations Children’s

Fund Philippines and the Child Network

Foundation, Inc. This summit aims to bring together

both internal and external stakeholders in the field

of education to engage in discussions regarding

No More program,” which includes an annual anti-

bullying campaign designed for students. This

campaign’s primary objective is to cultivate a

comprehensive understanding among students about

the nature of bullying, its impact on the victim, and

the consequences it holds for the perpetrator. While

this initiative is led by teachers, it encourages

students to actively participate in preventing

bullying incidents. In this regard, each class

president is appointed as a watchdog, responsible

addressed appropriately. According to, [30],

resolving a complex issue like bullying is not a

straightforward task. Nevertheless, there are actions

that parents and schools can implement to mitigate

temporary suspensions. In addition to the

enforcement of penalties, many schools are

introducing programs aimed at reinforcing positive

social behavior skills within both group and

classroom settings. Furthermore, school counselors

and psychologists are taking on a more active role in

counseling bullies regarding their inappropriate

conduct, to help them recognize the wrongdoing in

their actions.

Evident also in Table 1 are the challenges

manual used to address bullying and peer violence

in their schools. Expected to act as the authority in

to every learner.

The growing concerns in the

academe,

especially in addressing student behavior

concerns, have been a dilemma in basic education as

qualified professionals who ought to address such

are falling short in number. A report, [31], revealed

that there are only 1,096 active counselors in the

Department of Education (DepEd) equalling 20%

out of the 5,398 authorized positions for the

profession. In consideration of the bloated student

by DepEd itself. Published in an article, [32], that

in Quezon City with a student population of almost

146,000, only 25 persons were hired as guidance

counselors and only 9 of them were registered

guidance counselors. In many schools, due to the

lack of registered counselors, some teachers are

being assigned or given the title “teacher guidance”

to compensate for such deficiency, without giving

professional background and proper training for the

post. The chairperson of PRBGC in, [33], stated that

lacking proper training in guidance counseling.

Drawing from her own experience as a former

school guidance counselor, she recounted a situation

in which a teacher she was familiar with provided

encountered.

effective technique that elementary educators and

counselors can employ across various grade levels

in every school. To establish a robust bibliotherapy

initiative within an educational institution,

professionals should introduce the approach as a

non-intimidating process, perhaps even using the

term “biblio-guidance.” Additionally, they should

actively seek input and guidance from fellow

the well-based bibliotherapy intervention program

among depressed Filipino female adolescents,” this

brain, and revealed that it was effective in reducing

depression in female adolescents. Meanwhile,

school librarians conduct for their high school

students Bibliotherapy Services as part of the

formation program of the Office of the Student

Services that includes the Guidance Department and

the Formation and Spirituality Team. It is a viable

strategy to help young adult learners reflect on their

actions and realize their growth potential.

groups that use bibliotherapy are school counselors,

[38], social workers, [39], mental health nurses,

[40], teachers, [41], and librarians, [42]. In addition,

bibliotherapy is widely used by agency and school

counselors, [43], finding over 40 articles published

in just two school counseling journals during four

years, [44]. However, nothing in the literature

addresses this as a professional or educational need

for fledgling counselors. Many school counselors do

not know how to use bibliotherapy with their

books in therapy, counselors should understand the

nature and dynamics of bibliotherapy and

incorporate its theoretical aspects into a functional

theory. It is this significant gap between current

Furthermore, a study, [47], enclosing several

studies, outlines the utilization of bibliotherapy

trade books in Literature Circles by two second-

grade teachers and a school counselor to enhance

specific challenges. For instance, it has been used as

a counseling strategy by special educators within the

classroom to address the social and emotional

requirements of students, [50]. Some studies have

specifically investigated the effectiveness of

bibliotherapy interventions for students dealing with

emotional or behavioral disorders.

Additionally, the same study, [47], recognized a

recurring challenge in the literature, it is

acknowledged that identifying the specific impact of

where the focus was on the clinical process rather

the treated children with that of their matched

counterparts. The program consisted of ten 45-

minute sessions that incorporated various literature

materials and aimed to encourage the expression of

emotions, enhance understanding and insight, and

address self-control issues. Aggression levels were

measured using a shortened version of Achenbach's

Child Behavior Checklist (CBC), with self-report

and teacher-report data.

involving a 5-year-old boy suffering from severe

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. The treatment

approach included bibliotherapy and the systematic

level throughout the treatment. Additionally, at post-

treatment and during the 1- and 3-month follow-up

assessments, there was a significant improvement in

the patient's symptoms related to obsessive-

compulsive disorder. However, as with other studies

that have reported progress through the use of

bibliotherapy, it remains challenging to precisely

determine the individual efficacy of bibliotherapy in

isolation from the other applied interventions, such

as extinction in this case.

symptoms like aggression, obsessive-compulsive

behaviors, depression, and oppositional behavior.

Enhancing emotional awareness, which is closely

intertwined with the underlying causes of behavior

and other problematic symptoms, extends beyond

merely addressing the symptoms themselves. It

represents a pivotal area of study with the potential

to enhance the capacity of educators and mental

health experts to enhance the effectiveness of

programs and interventions for students. Gaining

insights into the ideal amounts of intervention

exposure, evaluating emotional awareness levels,

4.1 Development of Anti-Bullying

the behavior, feelings, and actions of the bully as

well as the bullied.

4.1.1 Content Validity of the Manual

those who wish to apply this therapy in their

respective schools. Five experts in manual and

instrument development, as well as psychology

(theoretical and applied), reviewed and validated the

manual.

Adopting the Delphi technique, the preliminary

version of the ABBI Manual was content-validated

and reviewed by five experts. The final version of

the manual was made after three rounds of

validation. Inter-rater reliability was used to verify

tested because it is already considered a zero

variance. A consensus was achieved among five

Table 2. Reliability Measures in the Content

As can be gleaned from the table above, the

internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha is

acceptable in the first round. This shows that the

Cronbach’s alpha, the internal consistency is only

Good. Along this premise, the edited manual has to

be further edited to incorporate the validation of the

results by the validators. Table 4 shows the

summary of validators’ ratings in the first round by

the five validators.

Table 3. Round 1 Summary of Validators’ Ratings

Table 4. Round 2 Summary of Validators’ Ratings

further show how the results of the first round were

based and computed. The two-way mixed effects

model where people effects are random and

measures effects are fixed where: a. Whether or not

the interaction effect is present, the estimator

it is absent.

Moreover, Table 8, Table 9 and Table 10 are

presented to further show how the results of the

Second Round were based and computed. The two-

way mixed effects model where people effects are

random and measures effects are fixed where: a.

Whether or not the interaction effect is present, the

estimator remains the same. b. In Type C intraclass

correlation coefficients, a consistency definition is

applied, wherein the denominator variance does not

include the variance between measures. c. Because

validation in round 3. The content validity was 3.0,

thus the manual is considered valid in terms of

content by experts/validators.

Table 11. Content Validation in Round 3