Advisers

Eduardo E. Villaruel

Discipline

Criminology

Abstract

Violence against women and their children includes physical, sexual, psychological, and economic harm within domestic relationships and is addressed by Republic Act No. 9262. Despite this legal framework, violence against women and children remained a significant concern in Barangay Culiat, Quezon City, which recorded 332 cases in 2024 and 181 cases during the first seven months of 2025. This study examined current approaches to improving awareness campaigns in the barangay. It assessed respondents’ profiles, awareness and education initiatives, the use of technology, victim support services, differences in perceptions among respondent groups, implementation challenges, and possible improvements. The study used a quantitative descriptive research design and purposive sampling. The respondents comprised 5 barangay council members involved in child protection, 5 police officers from the Women and Children Protection Desk of Holy Spirit Police Station 14, and 40 women residing in Barangay Culiat. After securing permission from the relevant offices, the researchers briefed the respondents, distributed the survey questionnaires, retrieved the completed instruments, and tabulated and analyzed the responses. Under awareness and education, respondents gave the highest ratings to public campaigns on women’s and children’s rights (3.82) and community safety activities (3.84). For technology use, social media (3.80), digital literacy programs (3.70), and the confidential online VAWC hotline (3.80) received strong ratings. For victim support, legal assistance (4.30), counseling services (3.74), and financial support (3.60) were highly valued. The respondent groups expressed similar views. Stigma and victim-blaming were identified as the main challenges, and clear information on where to seek assistance was identified as a key improvement. The study recommends expanding the dissemination of information on laws addressing violence against women and children, implementing activities that reduce stigma and victim-blaming, strengthening interagency coordination, using technology more effectively for outreach, and improving access to legal assistance, counseling, and financial support for victims.

Keywords

republic act 9262, Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC), Awareness Campaign, technology-based advocacy, stigma reduction