The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) has called for stronger family support systems, mental health services, and youth development programs to address school violence concerns, emphasizing the critical role of parents, schools, and the community in providing guidance and identifying early risks.

In a social media post on Friday, CPD noted that preventing school violence begins at home while underscoring the importance of community and institutional support.

“School violence is not solely a law enforcement or school discipline concern. It is also a family, developmental, mental health, and community issue that demands a whole-of-society response,” it said.

“Every tragedy involving young people should compel us to ask not only how violence occurred, but how it could have been prevented,” it added.

Following recent on-campus violence involving students that claimed young lives and injured several learners, the CPD noted that these tragedies should serve as a call to action for all Filipinos

The agency stressed that a whole-of-society approach is needed in identifying risks early and providing young people with the guidance and support they need before problems escalate into violence.

“These heartbreaking incidents remind us that while accountability is necessary, prevention must remain our collective priority,” the CPD said.

While expressing condolences to the victims and their families, the commission stressed that prevention starts long before a crisis unfolds, and begins in families where children are raised in nurturing environments that promote respect, empathy, self-discipline, and peaceful conflict resolution.

It said that responsible parenthood goes beyond providing food, education, and other material needs, as it also involves being emotionally present, maintaining open communication with children, recognizing behavioral changes, and helping adolescents navigate the challenges of growing up.

“Families remain the first and most powerful protective environment in shaping responsible, resilient, and compassionate citizens,” it said.

The agency noted that adolescence remains a critical stage of human development when young people face rapid emotional, psychological, and social changes while being continuously surrounded by peers and social media pressure, including their environment.

To help adolescents cope with these pressures, the CPD called for greater investments in programs that build emotional resilience, life skills, healthy relationships, and sound decision-making.

Meanwhile, the CPD has urged schools to strengthen guidance and counseling services, including psychosocial support programs, anti-bullying initiatives, and referral mechanisms to help them identify learners experiencing emotional distress or behavioral risks.

It also encouraged parents and guardians to actively guide and discuss with their children the responsible use of social media, cyberbullying, online behavior, and digital content consumption.

The CPD also called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, local government units, schools, health providers, faith-based organizations, civil society groups, the private sector, and local communities.

“It takes a village to raise a child,” the agency said, stressing the importance of accessible mental health services, positive parenting initiatives, youth development programs, and strong school-family-community partnerships.

The commission underscored that preventing violence means creating environments where every child feels valued and allowed to thrive, and every family is supported.

“Every adolescent deserves more than protection from violence—they deserve families that communicate, schools that care, communities that listen, and institutions that act before warning signs become irreversible loss,” the CPD said. (PNA)