CEBU CITY, Philippines — School violence cannot be reduced to one cause, the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) said.
The organization urged the public to reject simplistic explanations as authorities continue to respond to a wave of bomb and shooting threats that have unsettled campuses across Cebu following the deadly Tacloban City campus shooting.
In a public statement released earlier this week, PAP stressed that acts of serious violence committed by children and adolescents almost always arise from the interaction of multiple risk factors—not from a single influence such as violent video games, social media, mental illness, bullying, or family problems alone.
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The statement comes amid heightened public concern over campus safety after the June 22 school shooting in Tacloban City that killed three people and injured 20 others. The incident triggered a string of bomb and shooting threats across Cebu, forcing class suspensions, evacuations, police responses, and government intervention.
“Public discussions should therefore avoid simplistic explanations and refrain from attributing such incidents to any single factor,” PAP said.
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Instead, the country’s largest organization of psychologists said violence among young people develops through a complex interaction of individual experiences, family relationships, peer influences, school environments, communities, culture, and broader social conditions.
Beyond one explanation
PAP said psychological science consistently shows that no single experience automatically leads a child or adolescent to commit violence.
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Rather, risk develops over time through the interaction of multiple circumstances, while protective factors, including supportive families, trusted adults, positive school environments, healthy peer relationships, and accessible mental health services, can significantly reduce the likelihood of violent behavior.
The association cautioned against blaming any one factor, saying such conclusions ignore decades of psychological research.
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Among the risk factors identified by PAP are:
emotional distress and difficulty regulating emotions;
trauma and adverse childhood experiences;
bullying, victimization, and family conflict;
social isolation and peer rejection;
exposure to violence;
unsafe or exclusionary school environments;
easy access to lethal weapons; and
harmful online and offline influences.
However, PAP emphasized that the presence of one or even several of these factors does not mean a young person will inevitably become violent.
“Most young people exposed to adversity do not commit serious acts of violence,” the organization said.
Instead, resilience develops when children receive consistent support, healthy relationships, opportunities to belong, and access to appropriate interventions.
Digital platforms not sole culprit
The organization also addressed growing public concerns over social media and online content following several threat posts that circulated in Cebu in recent days.
PAP acknowledged that digital environments can expose some young people to violent, hateful, or manipulative content.
However, it warned against treating online platforms or video games as direct causes of violence.
Instead, psychologists urged parents, schools, and communities to promote responsible digital citizenship, media literacy, and healthy online engagement while remaining alert to harmful online communities that exploit vulnerable youth.
Cebu feels ripple effects
The statement comes as Cebu continues to deal with a succession of security scares following the Tacloban tragedy.
Beginning July 2, authorities investigated shooting and bomb threats involving Cebu Eastern College, Ayala Malls Central Bloc, Inayawan National High School, a condominium in Barangay Cogon Ramos, schools in Talisay City, a college in Barangay Pahina Central, and a school on Olango Island in Lapu-Lapu City.
Most incidents later turned out to be hoaxes, but they disrupted classes, prompted evacuations, and triggered extensive police and emergency responses.
Police have also identified a 13-year-old former student as allegedly behind the online threat against the Inayawan National High School.
Instead of pursuing criminal charges, school officials referred the minor to the Cebu City Social Welfare Services for intervention.
The National Bureau of Investigation-Central Visayas Regional Office and local police have since warned that individuals who post bomb or shooting threats online can be identified through digital investigations and prosecuted under existing laws.
The Provincial Government has also launched the Cebu Safe Schools Program to strengthen violence prevention measures and emergency preparedness across educational institutions.
Healing first
Beyond law enforcement, PAP urged schools to prioritize psychological recovery for students, teachers, families, first responders, and affected communities.
The association recommended trauma-informed responses that recognize that survivors react differently to violent incidents.
These include ensuring physical and psychological safety, providing accurate information, protecting privacy, avoiding repeated exposure to traumatic experiences, strengthening family and peer support, and connecting those affected with appropriate mental health services.
School personnel, who often experience secondary trauma and burnout following crises, should likewise receive peer support, supervision, and access to mental health care, PAP added.
The group also appealed to media organizations and social media users to report responsibly by avoiding sensationalism, graphic images, and speculation while investigations are ongoing.
Prevention requires everyone
Looking beyond immediate responses, PAP said preventing school violence demands sustained cooperation among families, schools, communities, mental health professionals, policymakers, and government agencies.
The organization called on schools to strengthen comprehensive mental health systems that cover prevention, early identification, counseling, intervention, and referral to specialized services.
It also urged educational institutions to foster safe and inclusive campuses through anti-bullying programs, social-emotional learning, conflict resolution, and mental health literacy.
Parents, educators, community leaders, and public figures likewise play a crucial role by modeling empathy, respect, responsible communication, and nonviolent ways of resolving conflict, PAP said.
“Preventing school violence is therefore not the responsibility of schools alone,” the association said.
“It requires sustained collaboration across the relationships, environments, and systems that shape children’s and adolescents’ lives.”
PAP said the country’s response to tragedies involving children should remain anchored on scientific evidence, compassion, child protection, and long-term prevention rather than fear or simplistic blame.
“Accountability, healing, rehabilitation, and prevention are not competing goals, but complementary parts of a comprehensive response to school violence,” the association said.
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