I used to be a victim of bullying.

Years ago, a school administrator tried to lift my spirits by telling me, “School is like a jungle. There are tame animals like you, wild animals like your bullies, and trees that can give you shade and that you can run to—like your teachers.” At the time, all I could think about was how I would much rather go to the jungle than school, any day.

School became a hostile environment for me. I couldn’t walk through hallways without wondering if my bullies would corner me like they had the week before. I couldn’t recite in class without fearing that my words and my teacher’s praise would garner me more flack from my peers. School was where I fell in love with learning, but it was also where I learned that, at that age, one could not avoid the inevitability of being entangled in senseless schoolgirl drama.

In 2015, The Philippine Star stated that at least 31 incidents of bullying occurred in Philippine schools everyday. This did not include the number of cases that go unreported; many victims choose to stay silent out of fear of possible retaliation from their bullies. In the age of the millennial, it does not help that bullying can extend into cyberspace as well. Thankfully, cyberbullying, or bullying done through electronic means, is covered by the Anti-Bullying Act.

The Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, or Republic Act No. 10627, defines bullying as the written, verbal, electronic, or physical abuse of a student in the hands of other students. The law states that, the moment victims of bullying feel fear of physical harm or emotional distress in school or feel the effects of the bullying on their psyche or emotional well-being, victims can report their circumstances to their school administration, knowing that the law has a process they can rely on.

However, the act covers incidents of bullying only in elementary and secondary schools. One would think that bullying would end then, but the fact remains that cases of bullying exist even in college and at the workplace. Some might simply call it backstabbing or intimidation; others might classify it as outright abuse. Children can be cruel, but age is supposed to grant us the wisdom to know when to be kind.

Department of Education Order No. 40, or the Department of Education Child Protection Policy, covers children under 18, over 18 but suffer from disability, and over 18 but are still in school. Upon my graduation, I will no longer be considered eligible for protection under the Anti-Bullying Act and the Child Protection Policy.

I used to be a victim of bullying. Now, I can say that I’m a survivor.

But many victims do not survive the bullying they’re forced to suffer through in school. Bullying can damage one’s self-esteem and self-image. It can lead to absenteeism, depression, and anxiety. And, worst of all, bullying can result in suicide. Too often have I seen friends crumble to the spreading of rumors, but too often have I seen people also chalk this up to childishness.

Bullying is an issue that won’t just go away; just last 2014, a bill was filed to prohibit bullying in the office. It is an issue that calls for action against the blatant disrespect for human life—a disrespect taught to us in our youth. Most of all, it is an issue that calls for a universal kindness.