Data on PH youth bullying highlights need to pass SOGIE bill--Hontiveros
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday, February 15 said the latest data on the rising number of bullying among the youth in the Philippines underscores the need to pass the bill on SOGIE or sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression.
"The data on bullying among our youth have been extremely alarming, even more so as gender-based or SOGIE bullying has been clearly established as one of the major causes," Hontiveros said in a statement.
"Therefore, just as bullying and mental health of our children are non-debatable priorities for Congress, then, it is just as important to acknowledge the struggles of our LGBTQIA+ youth," she said.
"This is one of the reasons I filed the SOGIE Equality bill— to protect these vulnerable youth. We cannot solve bullying and enhance mental health without making these basic protections for our children explicit in our laws," the senator added.
The Department of Education (DepEd) earlier reported that in SY 2021-2022 alone, there were 7,800 cases of gender-based bullying.
Based on the study of the Inter-agency Task Team on Young Key Populations, results showed that 40 percent of the LGBTQIA+ youth respondents reported that they had faced gender-based violence, and 50% reported that they had suffered stigma and discrimination during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Another study by Galang Philippines in 2015 shows that 18 percent of the LGBTQIA+ community averaging 24 years old attempted suicide. Since the, suicide rates among the youth have drastically risen.
"The numbers are telling a clear-cut story. If we say we are concerned about the future of our youth, then we should heed the data," Hontiveros said.
"As long as we are in denial, our children will continue to suffer the long-term consequences," added the lawmaker.