Lived Experiences of Senior High School Students in a Sectarian Institution

This study aimed to understand the effects of bullying among senior high school students’ well-being and academic performance, and the impact of the support they received while in a sectarian institution. A phenomenological study was done to determine the lived experiences of students from a university in Cavite, Philippines. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Triangulation was conducted through validation of selected information from the participants’ school counselor, teachers, and peers; Colaizzi’s thematic analysis was done to identify underlying concepts of these experiences. Findings revealed that bullying affected students’ emotional wellness where 80% internalized the incident and 20% externalize the experience. Academic performance was unaffected for the 60% of the participants, while 40% experienced hindrances in their class participation. All participants resorted to certain types of defense mechanisms of which 60% used distancing and 40% utilized rationalization. Further, all (100%) bullying incidents has witnesses and 40% of it was seen by friends, 40% by peers, and 20% by teachers. Only 40% opened-up and received emotional support from friends and felt reassure, while the remaining 60% handled the situation alone and turned out to be independent. In conclusion, bullying as an act has changed the students’ lives, and support was viewed as important in the coping experience of the victims.