When School Stops Feeling Safe

As a mother, one of the hardest things to hear in the news is that children were involved in another act of violence. When I learned about the shooting incident in Tacloban involving a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old, my first reaction was not to ask who was right or wrong. My first thought was, "What if that was my child?"

Every morning, we send our children to school believing it is one of the safest places they can be. We remind them to study hard, be kind, and come home safely. We never imagine that a place meant for learning could become a place where parents begin to fear receiving a phone call they never want to get.

What makes this incident even more heartbreaking is the age of those involved. Fourteen and fifteen years old, children who should be worrying about exams, friendships, and dreams for the future. Instead, their names are now associated with tragedy. As parents, it forces us to ask difficult questions. What are our children exposed to? Are they carrying emotional burdens they don't know how to express? Are we paying enough attention to the people they spend time with, the content they consume, and the struggles they quietly carry?

The law will do its part. There are legal processes for children in conflict with the law, recognizing that minors are still developing and should be held accountable in ways that also provide opportunities for rehabilitation. But behind every legal provision is a painful reality: no law can completely erase the trauma suffered by victims, families, classmates, and an entire community.

As a mother, I now find myself thinking twice every time my children leave for school. I wonder whether school security is enough. I wonder if teachers are equipped to notice warning signs. I wonder if parents like me are having the conversations at home that truly matter—not just asking about grades, but asking, "How are you? Is there anything bothering you? Do you feel safe?"

Perhaps that is the story behind the law. Laws are created not only to punish wrongdoing but to protect lives before tragedy happens. They remind us that public safety is a shared responsibility. Parents, schools, communities, and government all have a role in making sure our children grow up in environments where they feel secure, supported, and heard.

I still want to believe that schools are places where dreams begin, not where fear takes root. As parents, we cannot control everything our children will face, but we can continue to guide them with love, remain present in their lives, and work together with schools and our communities to create safer spaces for every child.

Because no parent should have to wonder whether saying, "See you after school," will be the last thing they say to their child.

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This article is written by Shirley Carmen, REB, REA, a licensed real estate broker, licensed real estate appraiser, and law student. She is a contributing writer for Stories Behind the Law, a column by Atty. Christian "Atty. Chris" Sorongon exploring the human stories, social realities, and legal principles that shape the lives of ordinary Filipinos.