A breeding ground for predators (2)

For a child’s life to be suddenly cut short by senseless violence is an unimaginable tragedy, one that can shatter not only a parent’s world, but an entire community’s sense of safety.

The recent school shooting carried out by two minors in Tacloban forced the country to confront a fear many of us once associated with other places. It has since raised difficult questions about bullying, access to weapons, school safety, and how some children are growing up unsupervised in online environments where extreme content can reach them without any adult noticing.

According to AJ Sunglao, chair of the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Special Interest Group of the Psychological Association of the Philippines, exposure to violent media online does not single-handedly create violent behavior, and the internet does not invent the pain and struggles that children already carry. But research shows digital spaces can become a negative influence or serve as a “multiplier,” especially when a child is already lonely, angry, bullied, or emotionally vulnerable.

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“Studies on algorithms show that apps feed struggling kids a constant loop of videos that match their darkest feelings, connecting them with influences that may just exacerbate harmful thoughts and behaviors,” Sunglao explained. “To address this, research suggests we need to understand what is pushing the child to struggle in the first place and be able to provide them with support to address these concerns.”

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This is why the response to Tacloban cannot stop at the physical security of our schools, though that is urgently necessary. As an educator, I understand why the tragedy has renewed calls to revisit campus safety. Schools need clearer entry protocols, stricter gate passes, and trained security personnel. But the conversation should also include how teachers and parents can work closely to identify early warning signs when a child is in distress, and respond with timely support instead of minimizing these concerns until they escalate into something more serious.

The Department of Education recently announced that schools will conduct active shooter drills to equip students and staff with clear steps that can help them respond in a real-life crisis. Sunglao said, however, that these drills, if not done with proper caution, can have a negative effect on the mental and emotional health of students and staff.

“The brain often cannot tell the difference between a high-stress simulation and a real threat,” Sunglao said. “These exercises can spike anxiety, mess with learning, and can seriously re-traumatize vulnerable kids. There are also children who may have preexisting concerns with their mental health who are left especially vulnerable in these types of situations.”

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Sunglao emphasized that guidelines to minimize psychological risks must be put in place. Drills should never involve fake weapons, simulated gunshots, surprise scenarios, or actors pretending to be intruders. Parents, teachers, and students should be informed in advance. Counselors should be available for students who become distressed. And students with preexisting mental health concerns should be allowed to opt out, either by their own decision or that of a parent or guardian.

He also said that training should focus more on teachers, because keeping children safe is the job of the adults in the room.

“Training should focus on teachers knowing exactly how to lock doors quickly, close the blinds, and keep a room calm,” Sunglao said. “For younger kids, frame the drill as a game of staying quiet and listening to the teacher, just like how we practice staying away from windows during a typhoon. High schoolers can handle a more honest conversation about safety, but they still need emotional reassurance.”

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Ultimately, however, more effort should be placed on prevention by creating a healthy school environment where students feel connected and supported.

“Studies repeatedly show that the most effective prevention tool is a support team across their homes, schools, and communities,” Sunglao said. “These are groups composed of counselors and trained teachers who know how to spot when a student is withdrawing or hurting, allies within the community whom students know they can turn to for support, and a supportive family environment where they feel seen, heard, and valued.”

The lesson from the Tacloban shooting should not be that the internet magically turns children violent. It is that digital spaces can find children at their most vulnerable, feed them content or communities that deepen their isolation, and connect them to predators who know exactly how to exploit them.

And too often, the response only happens after harm has already been done. We need to move beyond teaching young people how to survive these dangers and start building systems that actually protect them: platform designs that treat child safety as a priority, not an afterthought; home-school environments where adults guide and respond with care; and strong laws and governance frameworks that hold perpetrators, including Big Tech, accountable.

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