CHILD PROTECTION POLICY IN NARRA DISTRICT, PALAWAN, PHILIPPINES

Abstract

The study assessed the implementation of child protection policy in Narra Del Sur District, focusing on the level of implementation, awareness, preventive measures, and challenges encountered. It utilized a survey questionnaire, descriptive statistical tools, and inferential statistics to analyze and interpret the data. The study reveals that secondary schools in Narra Del Sur District are implementing the Child Protection Policy. The Child Protection Committee, teachers, and students are aware of how issues like child abuse, discrimination, exploitation, violence, corporal punishment, and bullying are being handled. They are also aware of preventive measures, such as providing immediate response, reporting incidents, fact-finding, documentation, intervention, referral, and disciplinary measures. Implementing the Child Protection Policy in secondary schools of Narra Del Sur District faces challenges due to lack of support, coordination, understanding of CPP, proper training, lack of qualified professionals, and having too many cases handled. The level of awareness among CPC, teachers, and student respondents regarding handling prohibited acts against children significantly influences the implementation of the Child Protection Policy, suggesting that understanding how to handle child protection incidents influences the policy's success. Moreover, the study found no significant difference in implementing the Child Protection Policy and preventive measures to handle prohibited acts against children among respondents from the CPC, PNP, DSWD, and teacher respondents. However, a significant difference was observed among student respondents.