Chapter 1: Introduction

Endowed with the universal right to freedom of expression, as stated in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights under Article 19, human beings are fully entitled to communicating
their emotions, insights, and ideas, whether through verbal, written or other mediums. With the
current revolution fighting against censorship, compounded with the increased usage of the
Internet and social networking sites, the opportunities of people in expressing their thoughts and
opinions have also expanded. However, with the great liberty given to people also comes the
heavy responsibility of not abusing this said freedom. Just as all rights are limited, the refuge of
individuals to curse or swear words also has boundaries. Realizing the widespread use of
profanity in the society, even after considering its advantages and disadvantages, calls
for the intervention from the educational institutions through strengthening the
implementation of the rules against the use of expletives as well as the values formation
program employed by the school.

In Miriam College High School, the administration and school board recognize the
negative impact of using profanity and respond through the enforcement of regulations upon this
action. According to page eighty-five (85) of the Student Handbook (2014 edition), necessary
sanctions are given to those who have employed obscene and abusive language in school
grounds such as community service, conduct grade consequence, probation, and suspension.
In spite of the heavy disciplinary actions that could be undertaken to remedy the malicious
speech of some students, there is still an evident, not to mention widespread, utilization of
obscene language within the educational environment by the students. This is a violation of their
responsibilities as students of MCHS, which they have all agreed to fulfill upon entering and
beginning their high school life in Miriam College.

As stated in page twenty (20) of the student handbook, which listed down their
obligations as young learners, they are expected to “be courteous and ladylike at all times and
relate positively and respectfully with teachers, counselors, administrators, and all other school
personnel as well as with visitors and fellow students.” On page twenty-one (21) of the same
handbook, students of MCHS are also expected to portray the behavior and manners of a
refined lady, which means that she recognizes Christ in herself and in others. Furthermore, the
school aspires its students to respect not only other people but also herself. Thus, the manner
of upholding themselves, especially the way they express their emotions, plays an important

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role in displaying the reputation of the individual and of the community since the expectations of
the academic institution have to be met by its students.

Bearing in mind the attempts conducted by the school to mold women leaders, the
countless instances of hearing obscenities being uttered by the students within the school
grounds cannot be ignored as this defies the institution‟s ideals. Profanity is often used by the
students as an emotional outlet, used especially to cope with the struggles and stress brought
by the academic atmosphere. The utterance of swear words is no longer seen as an offense
and instead, has become an accepted reality among students due to its mundanity in their
everyday school life. The prevalent inclination of the MCHS students towards the use of
expletives has become an issue that should be resolved as this disposition breeds ignorant
minds that become apathetic, bereft of social sensitivity. As previously mentioned, profanity also
counters the school‟s ideals of molding holistically developed ladies, rooted in grace and
refinement, as well as the students‟ responsibility of being courteous and ladylike at all times.

Objectives
With the growing concern of the usage of MCHS students of profanity comes the
necessity of conducting a study on the behavioral patterns of those who use obscenities in the
high school department so that the mindset of the students towards this type of language can be
changes before it becomes a permanent part of their manner of communication. This study
intends to identify the true definition of profanity that can cater the advantages and
disadvantages of conveying one‟s emotions through obscene language and to also determine
the influence of sociocultural conditions on the utilization of vulgar terms. Also, thoughts (of
students and faculty members of the MCHS institution) of having offensive words as part of the
daily conversation are discussed to fully understand the employment of coarse terms and to
further comprehend the stand of the right of speech in the aforementioned topics. This would
then provide a concrete solution to this linguistic dilemma in the high school, as corroborated by
the gathered data.

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This study aims to reinforce the school‟s enforcement of the rules against profanity by
answering the following research questions:
A. What are the factors that determine a violation of one‟s right to freedom of speech
through the usage of profanity?
B. How does the MCHS community view profanity?
C. How does the students‟ behavior, especially with regard to their tendency to swear or
curse, reflect the implementation of the institution‟s mission of molding refined young
ladies?
D. What should be the school‟s necessary actions to counter/support profanity?

Scope and Limitations

As the students are not only expected to excel academically but also develop a good
moral character, which constitutes to the refinement of its students in terms of their manner of
speaking. A part of their holistic development is their responsibility to adopt good manners and
always be refined ladies. Thus, the school‟s standards and definitions of refinement are to be
discussed, as this term is often viewed and understood relatively. The main object of the study
is to examine the prevalence of profanity in the MCHS community wherein exploring its current
status in the institution is the main focus of this paper; hence the paper revolves around the
students‟ utilization of obscene language. However, relaying this issue in practical terms, the
definition of “obscenities” depends on an individual‟s discretion such that the responsibility of
students employing this medium of expression in a day-to-day basis is further acknowledged as
this behavior goes against the rules and regulations of the MCHS community. The history and
evolution of swearing are also discussed, as this would give a background on how these words
have reached its taboo state. The two sides, namely the advantages and disadvantages, of
profanity are also taken into consideration to prove the assertion that the usage of such
language is wrong and should no longer be tolerated by the school and by the students
themselves. Valid and significant references are used, through in-depth research and
meticulous filtration of sources. Moreover, the views and pinions of people in key positions are
also taken into account in the overall research of the usage of profanity. It should be noted,
however, that as the school is set in the Philippines, a bilingual country, the nature of the swear
words to be studied is in English and Filipino – the two main languages of the nation – but the
students in the high school department are not limited to the aforementioned languages as they
list down the profane terms that have crossed their minds in the survey forms, which its results
can be seen in the appendices. Also, this academic paper would not consider of looking at the

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comparison of the grade levels to the frequency of expletives for this would only be focused on
the aforementioned coverage to be able to focus on the main aspects that can support the
researchers‟ objectives.

Definition of Terms:
1. Swearing
○ the use of offensive language
2. Cursing
○ making an utterance intended to invoke a supernatural power to inflict
punishment or destruction on a person or thing
3. Social Disinhibition
○ a state wherein there is a diminished concern for social propriety and reduced
self-control
4. Expletive
○ a swear word or any other expression used as an exclamation, usually as a
filler
5. Catharsis
○ an emotional discharge wherein a renewal state from stress and anxiety is
achieved
6. Maladaptive
○ a term used in psychology to refer to patterns of thinking and behavior that
cause and maintain emotional problems
7. Refined Lady
○ a woman who is polite, gracious, and well-spoken
8. Schoolhouse gate
○ beyond the gate of the school, the state, through the school authorities should
not interfere and reach into the child‟s home and control his/her actions to the
same extent that it can control the child in school.
9. Hypoalgesic
○ lessening of pain
10. Stimulus
○ something that can evoke a response from the systems of the human body
11. Taboo

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 ○ as a ban or inhibition resulting to social custom or aversion
12. Censorship
○ the use of the state and other legal offices to restrain the abuse of language
13. Lexicon
○ the words used in a language or by a person or group of people
14. Grawlixes
○ the series of typographical symbols (such as @#*&!) used in cartoons and
comic strips to represent swear words
15. Natural
○ existing in nature and not made or caused by people; coming from nature
16. First Amendment
○ one of the clauses in the Constitution of the United States of America that
states that the government cannot make any laws that would abridge the citizens‟
freedom of speech
17. Seven Dirty Words
○ seven English words that George Carlin, an American comedian, listed as the
words that cannot be said on television, which are Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt,
Cocksucker, Motherfucker, and Tits

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 Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature

With the liberty given to the youth of today, there is a common tendency for individuals‟
freedom to be abused. People are granted the right to freely express their thoughts, feelings,
and emotions, yet as all rights are ironically limited, there is a boundary that should not be
crossed upon dealing with language and communication. However, it is no surprise that
mankind has stepped beyond this border and continuously explore the dangers of this
unchartered territory. Within this prohibited area is the issue of profanity. People have
developed a system of language that would aid them in communicating and relating to fellow
humans, yet with the emergence of language comes the creation of curse and swear words.
Resorting to profanity when experiencing a wide range of feelings has been an automatic outlet
to freely express extreme emotions, especially by teenagers, to an extent that can offend other
people. Throughout time, the application and purpose of the utilization of curse words has
evolved, that constitutes to the advantages and disadvantages of employing the obscene
language.

The Evolution of Swearing

Swear words have been utilized since the emergence of language (Bylsma and De
Vlam, 2013). These are actually a product of the class difference during the Medieval Era in
England, wherein society is divided into two: the lower-class Saxons and the upper-class
Normans. Both classes have their own language, the former having a Germanic tongue, while
the latter had a language similar to French and Latin. As most of the words used today are
rooted in Old English, numerous words have emerged from these two classes. Since the
Saxons are those who worked with animals, they came up with the names of the animals, such
as chicken, cow, and pig, whilst the words that pertain to the meat of these animals are derived
from the Norman language, namely, poultry, beef and pork. This explains how swear words
often have a Germanic origin, such as shit, while the Norman term for it would be defecation.
With the passage of time, the definition of these obscene words change, either increasing or
decreasing in its level of profane intensity. Some swear words lose their luster, which proves
that language is in a constant state of flux, since words often have new meanings as the years
pass, while some of its definitions become archaic or obsolete. On the other hand, decades and
centuries ago, words are related to the supernatural, sex, and disease are considered taboo,
but in the present times, words pertaining to one‟s appearance, identity, and sexuality are
considered as stronger swear words. Within this state of change and development are

6
expletives, an example of which can clearly be seen in the Shakespearean language, since
many words that do not originally have any malicious meaning eventually have evolved into
words full of innuendos and hidden meanings. The usage of many words that are being
pertained to a taboo word has also been decreased to the point of it being totally eradicated
from the everyday speech of society. Pissabed, which was the previous name of dandelion,
shitecrow, another name for a heron, and windfucker, otherwise known as windhover, are just
some of the words that have been antiquated due to its supposed obscene state.

Establishing the duration of the utilization of the obscene language, the meaning of such
terms varied with the differences of cultural conditions in specific time frames. According to “The
Encyclopedia of Swearing,” a book that contains bad words wherein the differences of
meanings of a particular word are emphasized, the culture of a particular time frame affects the
perception of people on a certain expression (Hughes, 2006). The changes in definition of
swear words indeed show how culture and tradition has affected the usage of profanity. For
instance, before, the word shit referred to a human‟s bodily waste while in today‟s time frame,
the aforementioned term is being uttered when an individual undergoes an extreme emotion -
be it shock, anger, fear, or stress. On the other hand, the term fuck implies the concepts of
copulation while its present implication is the same as to instances of saying shit. In addition to
that, “Holy Sh*t” also presents certain ideas which revolve around the development of such
terms. (Mohr, 2013) The weight and impact of saying damn in 1866 has been huge to the point
that it has offended nuns; however, in present-day situations, the mentioned term has been the
“lightest” in a sense that it does not have the same effect on other people compared before.
Also, the expression holy shit was established by the application of blasphemy during the
Roman times, wherein its usage is to swear an oath on a bible. However, people nowadays use
this word to convey maximum points of emotions. Having these concepts in mind, the usage of
obscene language is used to convey utmost responses in situations which are difficult to deal
with. It is a proof that the notion of curse or swear words was derived from the evolution of
mankind and language, thus, showing a certain generation‟s mentality and psyche upon
studying the expletives used by a majority during that time (Mohr, 2013).

Studies have shown that the connotation and denotation of words actually belong two
different parts of the brain. The limbic system, which is a network that regulates motivation and
emotion, and the neocortex, the crinkled surface of the brain, which grew as man evolved and is
considered as the seat of perception, knowledge, reason and planning, are two of the organs

7
that make up the mammalian brain. As these two systems are interconnected and work
together, psycholinguists claim that a word‟s denotations are spread across the connections
between the neocortex and the limbic system, especially in the right hemisphere. This could be
due to the amygdala, which is an organ located in the front of the temporal lobe of the brain,
which helps invest memories with emotions. Upon being scanned, the brain, specifically the
amygdala, shows gear metabolic activity when the person sees an angry face or hear an
unpleasant word, including taboo words. Another test for the effect of hearing or seeing a taboo
word can be done by strapping an electrode to a person‟s finger and then measuring the
change in the skin conductance caused by the sudden wave of sweat, and this activity is
simultaneous with brain activity in the amygdala. The response of people towards profane
words becomes automatic as the meanings of these words have already been imprinted in the
minds of people who have encountered them beforehand, thus, evoking an emotional response
from people. This then proves how much curse words can immediately affect a person,
especially since it is slowly becoming a part of human nature itself – being triggered easily by
simple stimuli such as the perception of obscenities.

Considering that the progression of the purpose of society in turning to vulgar terms in
expressing an individual‟s feelings, expletives may have various denotations that may also be
differently perceived by the general public. With this said, terms related to the obscene
language have to be distinguished to avoid misconceptions and misunderstandings. Profanity is
defined as the utilization of taboo words to convey strong emotions (Atkins, Kingston &
Stephens, 2009). This linguistic activity, otherwise known as swearing or cursing, is offensive as
they pertain to racial, sexual, bodily, religious, etc. words that might be hurtful to a certain
cluster of society. Moreover, swearing, according to Bylsma, L. & De Vlam, C. (2013), is a form
of linguistic activity that conveys the expression of strong emotions through the utilization of
taboo words. Atkins, J., Kingston, A., & Stephens, R. (2009), also have mentioned that
swearing is the utilization of offensive or obscene language, which occurs in most human
cultures. As compared to the magnitude of offense swear words have had in the past, profane
words are used out of a person‟s strong need to express his/her emotions - shock, frustration,
anger, etc. - which has slowly become a habit for most people. Stephens (2013) has mentioned
that swearing is not an indication of low academic capabilities and eloquence, but instead, it is a
language that serves as a tool to convey an individual‟s emotions. He believed that curse words
can improve the effectiveness of the sentence, compared to sentences that do not use such

8
terms. Linguistic definitions of language that omit curses are said to be invalid and incomplete,
despite their politeness.

Aside from the sociocultural influences that could have served as the catalyst of the child
or teenager‟s usage of profanity, media plays a huge role as well in making the current
generation utter obscenities. The fact that the media allows the utilization of profanity definitely
influences its viewers - especially teens - to do the same action of expressing oneself through
expletives. Hence, the prevalence of profanity in media is a societal problem today, with the
increase of number of teenagers who opt to use this language.

Indeed, to be able to realize how people - especially teens - approach certain situations
with profanity, depicts the level of acceptability in terms of the consent given to them, by the
media and the society, to act in a particular manner. The transformation of the definitions of
aforementioned terms also convey the manner of society and culture affecting not only its
meaning but also its purpose. In the past, literal meanings of the words are understood in the
day-to-day conversations; however, this has changed due to the fact that people only use these
words to express extreme emotions.

The Debate on Profanity

Although considered as a language of taboo words, 0.7% of the words an average
person uses in a day are swear words based on a research conducted by Mohr (2013). Behind
its façade of insignificance due its small value is the fact that the daily rate of usage of
obscenities is actually equal to the rate of using first-person plural pronouns, such as we, ours,
us, etc. Thus showing the prevalence of profanity in today‟s society, despite its state of being
considered as unprotected speech. According to the US Supreme Court, and the issue of
obscenities being truly disruptive to society, thus, being highly discouraged is still being
constantly questioned. In relation to the Philippine Constitution, as pioneered by the leaders of
both 1896 Revolution and the 19th Century Reform Movement and continued by the Malolos
Convention, adhering to the freedom of expression – as one of the rights of a Filipino citizen – is
strongly emphasized since there are several occurrences that counter the mentioned right.
However, there are certain parameters still to this freedom as some individuals may abuse this
to step on other people‟s privileges. According to Article 358 of the Revised Penal Code,
slander or oral defamation is discussed as a means of violation to cause dishonor or discredit a
person. Moreover, the coverage of the aforementioned term has been entitled to the speaking of

9
base and libelous words which tend to prejudice another in his reputation, office, trade, business
or means of livelihood (Laserna, 2014). This part of the law constitutes on how human relations
can be greatly affected by the medium of expression considering that punishments such as
imprisonment can be held against the person. In addition to this, Article 26 of Chapter 2 –
Human Relations – of the Civil Code of the Philippines has specified that every person shall
respect the dignity of another, which primarily is being disrupted by the means of the usage of
obscenities. Indeed, there are limitations to every freedom that can further promote the well-
being of the whole community.

Despite the social construction of profanity, people who curse or swear are looked down
upon by society as this linguistic activity is against the norms of social etiquette. There have
also been misconceptions stereotyping “pottymouths” as having low intelligence and no class,
but Stephens (2013) asserted that this is not a sign of inarticulateness, but simply, profanity is
an emotional language. A person is induced to utter obscenities to release the strong emotions
that they believe can be best expressed through the aforementioned type of words. According to
Bylsma & De Vlam (2013), there has always been some sort of resistance against the use of
expletives. These people are negatively seen, judged, and even punished severely for this
verbal crime, especially when society was still close-minded and strict about these matters.
During the medieval period, language is regarded as coarse and obscene. The concept of
censorship is then developed. Some punishments include imprisonment, excising of the tongue,
and even death penalty. People have to pay fines and penalties to prevent the state to involve
men from prosecution (The Encyclopedia of Swearing).

Today, the response of people towards these words is not as discriminating as that of
the previous decades and centuries. In media, it is very rare to not hear and even see swear
words. The State has the power before to ban sexual and scatological language due to its
indecency, but with the acquisition of a wider range of freedom of expression, the frequency of 1
KHz sine waves to censor these words is slowly decreasing, as swear words have actually
become a commonplace notion that a majority of society accept. The amount of profanity usage
has even increased as the decades passed, and the surprisingly, there has been no negative
feedback against this. In actuality, people swear to be or at least seem more powerful in
delivering their points and ideas. There has been an ongoing debate on whether profanity
should be accepted as it is just a means of expressing one‟s extreme emotions or it is actually a

10
social sickness that ought to be cured before it becomes a part of the natural way of life of a
human being.

The utility of swearing cannot be denied as several studies have claimed and proved
that this gives an increased pain tolerance, thus having a homalgesic effect, upon using swear
words to relieve pain or stress (Jay, 2009). To prove their hypothesis that swearing would lower
a person‟s pain tolerance and increase their pain perception, Atkins, Kingston, and Stephens
(2009) have asked undergraduates to immerse their non-dominant hand in a bucket of icy water
while repeating a neutral word and had another set-up which required them to use a vulgar
word. However, after conducting the experiment, their results are in contrast to their original
hypothesis, as it showed that their test subjects were able to withstand moderate to strongly
painful stimulus for a longer period of time by using swear words repeatedly rather than non-
curse words. It also decreases their perception of pain and increases their heart rate. Instead of
being a maladaptive pain response, the scientific investigation conducted shows how it actually
produced a hypoalgesic effect, or simply, lessened the pain the subject felt. That is why
nowadays, people, specifically the youth, turn to profanity to express his/her emotions, be it
shock, anger, frustration or stress. Some medical researchers even claim that it has positive
health benefits as it improves blood circulation and oxygen production in the body. However,
this is just one of the types of swearing, namely, cathartic swearing, or the sudden blurting out
of expletives in moments of sudden pain, frustration or regret (Pinker, 2007).

Pinker has listed down four other types of cursing: dysphemistic, abusive, idiomatic, and
emphatic. Dysphemism is the opposite of euphemism, which substitutes a more pleasant and
inoffensive word for something unpleasant. Thus, dysphemistic swearing entails a person to use
a disagreeable or offensive word for a neutral word, such as choosing to say “shit” in place of
“feces.” In order to distress or emotionally attack a person, abusive swearing is used, especially
for insults, execrations, and other forms of verbal abuse. This is to satisfy one‟s need to
intimidate, punish or degrade someone else, which can be seen when one calls someone a
“motherfucker” as this implies that that person commits incest, or a “douchebag” as this likens
the person to effluvia and other bodily parts associated to this. When around one‟s friends, that
person has the tendency to swear without really referring to the denotation of the curse word,
which is otherwise known as idiomatic swearing. Usually, this is used to arouse interest, show
off, or show that the setting is informal, such as saying, “Fuck, man.” Lastly, emphatic swearing
is utilized when one desires to emphasize a certain matter, which can be observed in the

11
expression, “It was so fucking cool!” Hence, pain or stress relief, the perceived credibility,
intensity, and persuasiveness of person, interpersonal consequences, including promoting
group bonding and solidarity, inhibiting aggression, eliciting humor, and causing emotional pain
to others, among many more, are the benefits of swearing (Bylsma & De Vlam, 2013).

As proven by Atkins, Kingston, and Stephens (2009), swearing can create an

hypoalgesic effect upon being subjected to stressful situations, but contrary to this, Bowers
(2011) has conducted a study on the effect of words, particularly of expletives and euphemisms,
on one‟s way of thinking and perception of the world. To accomplish this task, he asks for some
volunteers, who were previously briefed on what would occur, to say maledictions and
euphemisms out loud. While reciting these select words, they are wired to a machine that
measures their stress levels through the amount of sweat they produced all throughout the
procedure. The results show that the participants have higher stress levels when they were
asked to curse as compared to when they read these words‟ common euphemisms, which
proves that people do not only respond to the meaning of a word, but word structure also affects
how humans react to them. Believing that behavior towards profanity is an evidence of linguistic
relativity, the researchers state the fact that, neurologically speaking, people expressing
themselves through obscenities make them more stressed out than just saying the more
wholesome counterparts of these words. Nevertheless, people still swear despite this autonomic
effect, but it still does not erase the fact that this causes the mental anxiety and unrest, although
in varying degrees. Another contradiction to the benefits of the employment of obscene
language in their daily speech is that the excessive use of taboo words conditions the brain to
categorize this word into a normal word, which can be seen in the twentieth century as words
previously looked down upon have slowly developed into everyday words (Pinker, 2007). Thus,
this does not have the same pain relieving effect that these offer since emotional response in
the brain weakens after repeated exposure (Stephens, 2013).

Words are very influential and powerful, which can easily emotionally affect a person, as
opposed to the well-known saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can
never hurt me.” Despite its advantages, the negative implications of profanity cannot be ignored
as these can still be harmful to other people. Defined in terms of religious and sexual standards
and sensibilities, the harm that can probably be resulted from swearing is associated with issues
such as verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and discrimination. In learning the social uses of
language, a majority of the population make mistakes, especially young children who are still

12
fascinated by new knowledge, especially as they embark on a journey in school to learn new
words. Based on the study done by Jay and Janschewitz (2012), children begin to learn how to
swear at the young age of two years old, and this matures into the adult-like type of swearing
upon reaching the age of eleven or twelve. However, even by the time they start going to
school, they have already stored around thirty to forty (30-40) offensive words in their
vocabulary. Albeit there are exceptions to this fact, as some kids and adults refrain from
employing this type of language, humans acquire a contextually-bound swearing etiquette,
wherein they know what these certain words are and how they are not appropriate in polite
society. This proves that it is quite inevitable for children to not be exposed to and learn
obscene language, especially due to the strong influence of their parents, siblings, friends, and
mass media.

The utterance and usage of children of swear and hurtful words are often errors in their
judgment, however, as they learn to use language. Although children are condemned to
misbehaving if they swear, according to Gartrell (2007), it is just a mistaken behavior that the
child has adapted to several influences. With this mistaken behavior are several reasons why
children curse. Firstly, it is done out of curiosity and experimentation. It is highly likely that a
child hears obscene words and is curious about the reaction it will receive if she/he says it as
well. Thus, brain research states that optimal neural development occurs as children experience
the intrigue of discovery without the stress of harsh evaluation. Hence, withholding moral
judgment, cursing can be seen as a high-level, phonetic word-recognition activity. The social
influence of peers can also induce individuals to join in on the swearing since children tend to
mimic others without full of knowledge of what they are actually copying. Also, swearing is used
as a way to convey that that person has strong unmet needs that cannot be conveyed directly
by the person, consequently, resorting to swearing as a way of catharsis. However, this is the
beginning and the development of the child‟s habit of swearing. If not remedied immediately,
this can be instilled in the child, making him/her resort to swearing to express his/her extreme
emotions.

Exposure to coarse terms in media can activate profanity-related scripts in memory and
increase the probability that the individual will use the obscene language after his/her exposure.
Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to the dangers of profane expressions as
they are still developing their behavior during these formative years (Coyne, 2011). The
continued usage of vulgar words also promotes and breeds ignorance and the lack of social

13
sensitivity, as these words are often derived from religion, sexual and bodily functions, and
racial epithets (Stone and Levett-Jones, 2013). This then supplements the fact that ethics
regarding this field is strengthened wherein expletives should not be depicted in any form of
advertisement as this is not only a means of selling a service or a product but is also a
representation of the whole-being and reputation of several sectors (Ignacio-Rikken, 2010).

The establishment of gender roles is also evident in the portrayal of media of the sexes
when it comes to cursing. Although movies and TV shows depict both sexes of using profanity,
Cressman, Callister, Robinson, and Near (2009) have proven that male characters use more
profane words than female characters, who use a more type of swearing. Men also have a
higher percentage of using words under obscene language known as “the seven dirty words,”
which are shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits. Aside from explicitly
capturing how swearing has become an automatic outlet for emotions for people, these figures
show how women are expected to be less vulgar than men. Men are often portrayed as
powerful and convincing when they use obscenities, while women are looked down as this was
an indication of their lack of civility, thus being less attractive to society. Moreover, aside from
the media, the fact that schools also expect girls to act in such a way that professes the “upper-
middle class” can give a feeling of being enclosed in a cage where they cannot freely express
their emotions (Allan, 2009).

Questioning the capability of all human beings to curse, Jay and Janschewitz (2012)
generalize that definitely all competent English speakers learn how to curse in this language, yet
other factors, such as contextual, personality, and physiological variables, affect a person‟s
tendency to swear. Across socioeconomic classes and age ranges, profanity is more
widespread among adolescents and is more frequently used by men. Despite its state of being
forbidden, taboo words have evolved to the point that it occupies a unique place in language,
because once they are learned, their utility becomes heavily context-driven.

According to Stephens (2013), people who actually curse are also prone to entering a
state of social disinhibition, wherein they talk and act without thinking of the moral implications
of these words and actions, increasing the probability of them uttering an offensive word or
expression to those around them. Many instances of verbal aggression, which includes
profanity, can be seen in the healthcare setting, directed by patients to nurses and doctors.
Verbal aggression, including swearing, is one of the most common types of work-related

14
violence against nurses. This is said to have several negative effects, such as increased stress,
emotional exhaustion, decreased morale, loss of productivity, difficulty with retention and
recruitment, and a negative impact on the delivery of healthcare. Nurses claim, however, that
this verbal abuse was part of the job so they trod on quietly, enduring this injustice, making its
incidence under-reported (Stone and Levett-Jones, 2013). However, health workers are not the
only victims that fall prey to the detrimental effects of obscenities. Teenagers themselves are
bashed on social networking sites and even in real life by strangers and even their so-called
friends. Media plays a huge role in molding the youth of today, thus despite the empowerment
and freedom of speech granted to the youth of today, there has been an increased exposure to
profanity, hence, increasing the need for more parental supervision and school intervention to
ensure the holistic development of their behavior, attitude and character. A heightened
necessity for a stronger enforcement of rules and regulations promoting discipline, peace, and
organization in institutions thus develops as the rate of self-expression through the use of
obscene language from the influence of sociocultural conditions increases. In conclusion, there
is an ongoing debate on how profanity is either an acceptable venue in expressing an
individual‟s emotions, ideas, and thoughts or a violation to the dignity and reputation of the
person.

The Fight for Freedom of Speech

One of the foundations of democracy is the right to freedom of speech, as this gives
each citizen a chance to share their opinions on the follies of their present government and this
can even be used to collectively challenge the authority that governs them. This right can be
found in several documents that include the basic privileges of humans such as the Bill of
Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the European Convention on Human
Rights. In spite of the apparent universality of this freedom, the Supreme Court of the United
States of America recognizes five types of unprotected speech. Pinker (2007) claims, however,
that only four of these exclusions fit the rationale considering freedom of speech as a
fundamental liberty. Fraud and libel are among these reasonable four exceptions as these go
against the essence of speech, as they actually go against the propagation of truth. The writer
also has included the advocacy of imminent lawless behavior and “fighting words” as these
trigger behavioral reflexes that may cause harm to others, instead of the purpose of language,
which is to communicate and exchange ideas. However, obscene language is also included in
this roster of unprotected speech, which is questionable, according to Pinker, as these are mere
words that are used for activities that are inescapable parts of the human condition, such as sex

15
and excretion. Due to the changing times, the power of the government in banning certain taboo
words has actually decreased since society is entering a more liberal and open-minded era,
considering that these words are actually necessary for humans to fully exercise their right to
freedom of expression.

In addition, there are some discussions about how censorship somehow controls the
right to liberally utilize any mode of showing their points and arguments in a daily basis. The fact
that grawlixes or obscenicons, visual representations of bad words through a combination of
typographical errors, are used instead of curse terms is being argued about to the extent that a
violation of the freedom of speech is claimed (Syed and Larson, 2010). On the other hand,
when a vulgar term is spoken, it is also censored through a sound that dominated the tone of
that word. Censoring profane terms, whether verbally or visually, gives a perception to its
audience that their right of speech is regulated. The fact that they cannot understand the reason
why such terms are censored implies that profanity is seen as a good action in society. This has
to be cleared especially when people can affect other individuals through this behavior. The
definition of profanity, purposes, and effects are also to be considered in explaining such points
to support the claim that profanity has a negative implication on the person and on the general
public as well.

To freely express oneself is one of the ideals citizens from various countries are
maintaining, and, sometimes, are fighting for. The fact that the value of upholding the freedom
of speech conveys the importance of, if possible, applying this right in any endeavor people
participate in. However, there has been an ongoing debate today on whether or not schools
may punish students for the usage of profane words.

As mentioned above, people tend to use the obscene language, regardless of their
gender, to show how negative occurrences have happened to them. An example of this
situation is when students post their feelings on social networking sites with the use of profane
words. Also, some members of the youth continue to use this language with full awareness,
since they seem to follow a trend with the belief that it is accepted to utilize bad words in
conveying their emotional conditions, as this is an expression of their feelings and emotions, a
right that is given to each human being. Due to the actions of the youth, the academic
institutions plan to establish the “schoolhouse gate.” This concept wherein beyond the gate of
school, the state, through school authorities, should not interfere and reach into the child‟s home

16
and control his/her actions to the same extent that it can control the child in school, unless it
disrupts their education (Des Chenes, 2013). Although its usage strengthens their right to
freedom of expression, the implementation of this can cause the continued increase of the rates
of students in using profanity, as they can post or say whatever the wished online or in person.
Des Chenes (2012) also has stated that there is a collision between the rules and regulations in
schools, and the laws and rights of the government. Thus, a continuous discussion of authority
over the students‟ actions is still being undertaken to ensure that no rights are violated, be it on
the part of the student or the State.

Moreover, the influence brought by media greatly affects the actions of the youth. The
addition of “power” - in a sense that public portrayals somehow dictate actions - show the
significance of dominance and effect unto the lifestyle of people. In fact, both male and female
characters in films use profane terms to also express such emotions. This then gives its viewers
a choice to whether or not imitate their behavior. With the given option, they can freely establish
a decision on which response they can use in any situation they are in, especially due to the fact
that the application of freedom of speech is employed. However, regarding the usage of profane
words, there is a collision of command. Profanity can definitely be minimized if there is no
conflict between the authorities that regulate such behavior. Indeed, profanity has become an
emotional outlet but regulating its utilization can help in conveying an individual‟s manners in a
less offensive way. Hence, there must always be a limit to one‟s freedom of speech as long as it
does not overstep the standards of being decent and human.

Nowadays, there is a prevalent usage of the obscene language whether to profess their
strong feelings about a certain situation or to be included in the “group.” Understanding the true
reason and implication of such disposition reflects the tendency of how people choose to act in
this manner in conveying their emotions. Realizing how profanity can evolve through
sociocultural conditions brings about the causes and effects, and the advantages and
disadvantages of expressing oneself through this course of action. The fact that it is acceptable
to display such behavior calls forth the true purpose of an individual‟s manners whether or not
the disposition of using profane terms is part of today‟s trend, which is being encouraged by the
media and the society. In relation to the teens, specifically to those who study in academic
institutions, the conflict of authority is still evident wherein the right to freely speak and the right
of the school to reprimand such behavior are contradicting one another. Certainly, the debate
about whose regulations should be followed – rules from the school or laws from the

17
government – continues, and, hence, gives confusion about the admonishment to the
disposition of using profane terms. This discussion has to be finalized in such a way that
provides a clear understanding of which authority has to be obeyed by not only students but
also members of the society. Having certain implementations such as the schoolhouse gate,
which was talked about above, greatly helps in setting boundaries and limitations to a side‟s
power. Indeed, starting in settling this debate through proposals of applications of new concepts
can benefit the fact that the usage of obscene language is offensive and unpleasant in showing
extreme feelings, has disadvantages in the society, and has negative implications with its
probable effects.

18
 Chapter 3: Research Methodology

MONTH ACTIVITY

September Brainstorming of possible mini-thesis paper topics

Approval of Profanity Among MCHS Students as the paper‟s topic
Research on the background of the study
Researching for valid and updated references
Submission of annotations and sources
Start of drafting Chapters 1 (Introduction) and 3 (Methodology)

October Drafting of interview questions, interview letters, and survey

questions
Writing of the RRL outline
Planning of the layout for Chapters 1-3

November Formulating Chapter 2 (Review of Related Literature)

Proof-reading of Chapters 1 and 3
Submission of the draft for Chapters 1-3
Creating survey forms
Sending of interview letters

December Online distribution of the first version of the survey

Revision of initial survey
Online distribution of the revised survey (℅ class presidents)
Interview of Mrs. Sofia De Guzman
Interview of Mrs. Irene Arrieta
Interview of Mr. Jaime Villafuerte III
Focus Group Discussion with the Lingkod Kapwa club
Making interview reports
Writing of FGD report

January Tabulation and making of graphs and charts of the partial results of
the survey (345 respondents)
Final distribution of survey forms (72 survey forms)
Planning of the Social Experiment
Interview of Rev. Fr. Harley Flores
Interview of Ms. Roman
Interview of Dr. Fermin
Completion of data gathering
Tabulation and making of graphs/charts of the complete survey
results (400 respondents)
Conducting the Social Experiment
Writing of survey report
Writing of interview reports
Writing of social experiment report
Drafting and editing of Chapters 4-6

19
 February Proof-reading of Chapters 4-6
Editing the whole MTP
Submission of the whole MTP

Library Research
To give the claim of the paper a more concrete basis, the collection of factual evidence
was the first necessary step in writing this academic paper. Several English periods were
devoted to library work for this endeavor so that all possible references could be exhausted
whether print or online. Recognizing the importance of this undertaking, reliable sources and
dependable materials were taken into account in employing truthful points to also support
certain arguments.

Surveying of Students
To be able to understand the perspective of Miriam College High School students on the
utilization of profanity in the institution, a survey was administered to four hundred (400)
randomly selected students - ten (10) students from ten (10) sections per batch. The results
were extremely beneficial in understanding whether the usage of obscenities is indeed prevalent
or the practice of coarse terms is just part of a trend. Fifteen (15) questions about the rate of
occurrence of using vulgar words, the reason behind the action and the probable effects of
utilizing profane expressions, and the anticipated advantages and disadvantages of this
undertaking were asked to meet the objectives of the study. The survey was done online, which
catered convenience for the participants as they responded to the questions, as they could do
this privately, thus being given more freedom in giving their honest and true answers. The
results were tabulated for a clearer understanding of the students‟ replies. The answers were
taken into consideration and were examined to further analyze and resolve their current
emotional outlet - profanity. Their responses were indeed advantageous and useful in pointing
out arguments that could address the present-day situation regarding the use of expletives.

Interviewing Teachers and Experts

As the study primarily focused on the institution‟s intervention and implementation of
school rules that go against the utilization of its students of swearing, the expertise of people
who excel in fields related to the topic of this academic paper were interviewed as they
represent various sectors of society that might have differing opinions and views on profanity.

20
Thus, their individual input was extremely valuable to the analysis and discussion of the
gathered data from the student surveys that would be given out.

Seven interviews were done, all of which were conducted in the high school, as these
interviewees are part of the Miriam College High School faculty, whilst the other is a
psychologist coming from the college department of the school. Among the esteemed
interviewees was Dr. Edizon A. Fermin, the principal of the high school, whose background in
linguistics and education contributed to the better understanding of the development of
obscenities in language. An alumna of the high school and the current Grade Level Coordinator
of the graduating batch, Mrs. Sofia De Guzman, and Ms. Nancy Roman, the Assistant Principal
of Student Affairs, were also interviewed as their office mainly deals with the strict
implementation of the school rules and regulations, including the disciplinary measures to be
done when infractions and offenses are committed by the students. To represent the religious
sect is Mr. Jaime Villafuerte, a Grade 12 Christian Life teacher, Ms. Imelda Areola, a Grade 11
Christian Life teacher, and Rev. Fr. Harley Flores, the chancellor of the Military Ordinariate of
the Philippines, were consulted on the Church‟s views and stand on profanity, as this is
considered as a violation of some teachings of the bible. The psychological and behavioral
aspects of the students‟ tendency to curse were examined by Mrs. Irene Arrieta, the guidance
counselor for Grade 12.

For a better, clearer and more thorough discussion with the selected roster of teachers
and administrators, all of the interviews were done in person. Letters were given to the
interviewees so that interview schedules may be set. The topic of the interview with a short
background on the study was also disclosed, and in order to give them an ample time to
prepare and be more equipped to answer the possible follow-up questions, the questionnaire
was also attached to the letter. The questionnaires used for the interviews were similar, with a
few differences as each was made suited to the interviewee and his/her standpoint.

Conducting a Focus Group Discussion

The Lingkod Kapwa Club, or better known as L-Kap, has been an established authority
over the student body in such a way that they monitor students who violate rules of the MCHS
institution, and they even impose infractions, if necessary, to those who really contravene
regulations. By coordinating with the club president and inviting them to participate in a Focus
Group Discussion (FGD), this could aid the educational institution in minimizing the application

21
of coarse terms in the day-to-day conversations of its students. Discussing the utilization of
profanity in the academic community definitely helped in responding to the situation since the L-
Kap members serve as assistants in maintaining the mission and vision of the academic
foundation. The discourse covered their opinions and views on the topic that can greatly
contribute in the administer of the use of the obscene language. Also, questions about their
experiences in situations that were related to the usage of profanity were asked to identify the
proper manner of resolving the prevalent use of expletives. Overall, the L-Kap were asked if
they agree and were willing to aid this study by being the role models of the students, and if not,
at least they could implement a stricter policy regarding the usage of obscenities within the high
school.

Conducting a Social Experiment

To prove the assertion that Miriam College High School students have strong swearing
tendencies, the proponents administered a social experiment that would confirm the prevalence
of the swearing phenomenon within the educational environment. Recognizing the fact that
students are inclined to curse to release their extreme emotions, provided that there are no
teachers around and they are with their peers, the researchers stayed in various places within
the high school vicinity during recess and lunchtime, and called forth random students who
would be willing to participate in our simple challenge.

The researchers prepared the experimental set-up from 12:55 PM – 1:35 PM (as lunch
begins at 12:55) in the MCHS Sports Complex. Five (5) minutes was allotted to get volunteers
from the audience, and then the formal social experimentation was done in fifteen (15) minutes.
Having the set-up prepared and the materials arranged, the following steps were conducted to
fully obtain a progressive execution of this study:
1. Random students passing by were asked to participate, and upon giving their
approval, they were given the mechanics of the experiment. Their objective was
to successfully identify the item in all boxes while being bereft of the sense of
sight.
2. They were faced with four covered boxes with holes wherein they placed their
hand. Their hyperactive imagination or fear, which might cause them to
exaggerate as they touch the items in each box, could be the stimuli that would
cause them to have a sudden outburst of emotion, including the utterance of
curse or swear words.

22
 3. The procedure was repeated until the last student finished her turn. To fully
understand and analyze the events that had happened, videos were filmed and a
transcript of expletives was noted while the experiment is ongoing. The
researchers of the academic paper would only be the ones to access the video
so that its contents would not be tampered on.
4. The proponents of the paper analyzed the results of this undertaking. Aside from
testing the cathartic advantage of swearing, the magnitude of the social influence
brought about by MCHS students themselves (in this instance, the mock
volunteer) on their fellow student to curse was also observed.

This social experiment greatly aided in the study as it showed the widespread habit of
the students in using expletives in communicating their feelings on a normal basis. As opposed
to the survey that was also given, this experiment enabled the students to express themselves
as there was a possibility of them omitting the truth while filling out the survey for fear of being
judged or reported, but since they were with their friends and just wanted to have fun, they were
given the opportunity the express themselves in any way they would like. The experimenters
aimed to see the causes and effects of using obscenities on the students and to describe the
nature of the profane words uttered, as well as its type.

23
 Chapter IV: Results and Discussion
Presentation of Data

Figure 1.1 A depiction of the number of participants who have cursed

Figure 1.2 A depiction of the manner in which the participants curse

24
Figure 1.3 A depiction of the frequency of the usage of profanity of the participants in different
environments

Figure 2.1 A depiction of the frequency of the usage of profanity when the respondents are
experiencing extreme emotions

25
 2%

3% 11% Why do you curse?

5% To be part of the trend

To express emotions
freely
To rebel

To show authority
79%
Others

Figure 2.2 A depiction of the main reasons why students curse

What is the greatest benefit a person can

have from cursing/swearing?
Medical Emotional Psychological Social No benefits Others

1% 3%

0% 14%
2%

80%

Figure 3.1 A depiction of the respondents‟ perceptions about the benefits of profanity

26
 What is the greatest disadvantage of
swearing/cursing?
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
You offend You do not You disobey This becomes a It can give you It can give the Others
other people appear like a the 2nd daily habit a negative school (MCHS)
civilized and Commandment image a bad
refined lady (i.e. Thou shall reputation
not use God's
name in vain.)

Figure 3.2 A depiction of the respondents‟ perceptions about the disadvantages of profanity

What are your thoughts about being a "refined

lady"?
It is necessary to follow the
expectations of the school to
4%
9% act in a manner that is "lady-
like."
I believe in this ideal, but not
33% how it is defined by the school.
10%

It is not important to follow

such decorum because being
unique and being natural are
more significant.
I do not care.
44%

Figure 4.1 A depiction of the participants‟ views on upholding the image of a “refined lady”

27
 As stated in the MCHS Student Handbook (2014 Edition), "A
Catholic Student of MCHS is always a "REFINED LADY." How do
you define being a "REFINED LADY"?

Someone who reflects good

education and polite manners
3%

18% Someone who acts according to

the rules and expectations of
teachers
3%
Someone who should be soft-
9% spoken and submissive to others

67%
Someone who is very elegant and
well-cultured

Others

Figure 4.2 A depiction of the respondents‟ definitions of being a “refined lady”

28
 Data Analysis
Quantitative Analysis of Survey Results

After collecting the data from the distributed online survey, the graphs shown previously
depict the thoughts, opinions and suggestions of the students regarding the aforementioned
topic - mainly revolving around its causes and effects, its advantages and disadvantages, and
the influence of socio-cultural conditions on one‟s inclination to curse. In analyzing the data
gathered, the measure of central tendency used is mode, which gives the most frequent value in
the set of data, for each survey question, as this study mainly revolves around the tendency and
the rate of occurrence of swearing among the students. The mean and median are not taken
into consideration, as these appear to be irrelevant in the analysis being conducted by the
proponents.

To prove that the use of taboo language is prevalent in the MCHS student population,
those who took part in the survey are asked whether or not they cursed. Graph 1.1 shows that
indeed, swearing is a widespread activity among the students of the high school as three
hundred and eighty-nine (389) of the respondents answered that they engaged in the utilization
of obscene language, or 97.25% of the overall number of students, whilst only eleven (11) of the
participants or 2.75% of the population do not use this type of language. The data in this graph
evidently presents the huge gap between the number of students swearing and the numerical
figure of those who do not.

However, as the usage of profanity could vary in the manner that it is utilized, the
researchers delve deeper into this by taking into account the manner of the students‟ utilization
of obscenities. As a result, as seen in Graph 1.2, 35% or one hundred and forty (140)
respondents utter expletives while thirty-three percent 33% or one hundred and thirty-two (132)
students mentally curse. This shows that the most popular means of swearing is through
outright verbal expression.

Considering the fact that these students highly utilize profane terms in certain
occurrences, the researchers test the knowledge of the participants on such terms by letting
them list down the words they know and consider as expletives. This part of the survey is not
only used to support the proponents‟ assertion that MCHS students are fluent in the language of
profanity, but also to describe the nature of the obscenities most common among the students.

29
 A total of 3226 words are listed down by the entire sample student population but this
was with repetition, thus upon further segregation, 440 different types of swear or curse words
from 11 languages are enumerated by the respondents. The following expletives are the ones
that have been most frequently listed down arranged in decreasing frequency: “shit,” “fuck,”
“putang ina,” “bitch,” “gago,” “puta,” “asshole,” “tangina,” “mother fucker,” and “fag.” “Shit,” the
most frequently cited curse word, is written down 253 times which represents 7.84% of the
words in the list of maledictions. However, 261 profane words of various meanings and
languages are mentioned only once, which make up 8.09% of the total number of obscenities
listed down. Despite the 0.25% difference between the percentage of frequency of the word
“shit” and of the unique obscenities listed down, it still shows that despite the constant repetition
of “shit” being considered as a swear word, there are still a lot more words that are individually
considered as words that have negative connotations.

On the other hand, the proponents of this study take the opportunity of accounting the
frequency of an individual turning to obscene words as they experience various extreme
emotions such as excitement, annoyance, anger and stress. It has been noticed that the
students use profane terms in habitual intervals most especially when they are annoyed and
angry. As displayed in Graph 2.1, the level of frequency of the usage of profanity generally
increases from the 1st to the 5th level of frequency, which meant that the 1st level indicates that
one does not or rarely curses, whilst the 5th level states that one always cusses. Upon
displaying the results graphically, the researchers see that a large number of students curse
when they experience those aforementioned emotions. While there is usually a small drop when
it comes to the 5th level, the last two levels of frequency (4th and 5th level) still have the highest
average among all the levels (after getting the average of each level of frequency of all the
emotions), since the 4th level has an average of 33%, while the 5th level has an average of 29%,
which shows the high frequency of the students‟ utilization of obscenities. For all the emotions
used in the survey, excluding anger, the mode garnered is 4, whilst anger‟s highest frequency is
5. Another noticeable attribute of this graph is that the levels of frequency of negative emotions,
such as annoyance, anger, and stress, are relatively higher as compared to the only positive
emotion of excitement.

The aforementioned graph also supports the main reason why students turn to profanity
- to express their emotions - in several circumstances. Profanity has been then an automatic

30
venue for displaying their feelings. In fact, as displayed on Graph 2.2, three hundred and
seventy (370) or 79% of the respondents utilize expletives to pronounce their strong sentiments,
while only nine (9) students or 2.25% of the participants claim to have uttered such words out of
their desire to be part of this trend of profanity. Fifty-three (53) respondents or 11% of the whole
representation of the student body, on the other hand, considers all options as the reason
behind their preference for this type of language, thus showing its supposed utility. It can further
be distinguished that the obscene language is mainly used to provide temporary relief as an
individual utters expletives when she is undergoing rigorous situations.

Apart from identifying the reason behind their inclination to use this type of language,
they also consider the fact that using profane terms to express emotions as the main advantage
it offers. According to Graph 3.1, three hundred and twenty-three (318) respondents or 79.5%
perceive that as profanity is beneficial as it allows one to convey their feelings more effectively.
Concurrently, only fifty-six (56) participants or 14% think that this would cause no benefits at all.
Upon comparing the distinct difference between the aforementioned numbers, it exhibits the
respondents‟ acceptance of the appropriateness and usefulness of this decorum, especially in
communicating to others their feelings and emotions. Aside from being a medium of self-
expression, the medical and psychological features of this habit are also considered as
advantages due to the fact that expletives increase pain tolerance, and give a sense of
superiority to certain individuals.

On the opposite side of the spectrum of profanity are disadvantages which are also
determined as there are also students who viewed profanity negatively, as shown in Graph 3.2.
A majority of the participants identify that this action can lead to a daily bad habit as it has
accumulated one hundred and nine (109) students agreeing to the aforementioned statement.
Eighty-two (82) students, meanwhile, consider the obscene language as a manner of offending
other people, which somehow contradicts the main reason and the students‟ perceived
advantage for they turn to this path as it is a manner to express their emotions. On the other
hand, the image and reputation of the person and of the school were relatively accepted as a
disadvantage while twenty-three (23) participants mentioned that all of the options are a
downside to this means of communication. However, the number of participants who consider
the reputation and image of the student, gaining forty-two (42) respondents, and of the school,
attaining thirteen (13) students, are relatively low compared to the numerical figure who
pertained to one of the school rules in the institution – being a refined lady – which acquired

31
sixty-eight (68) students. In relation to the issue on adhering to the standards set by the school,
there are sixty-three (63) participants who side with the spiritual aspect of this behavior wherein
the Second Commandment, “Thou shall not use God‟s name in vain,” is violated and taken into
consideration as a disadvantage.

With the understanding that students can act or be treated differently at home as
compared to their behavior and treatment in school, the frequency of their utterance of
expletives in both environments is also taken into account. As seen on Graph 1.3, the students
have a lower tendency of swearing at home than in school, although generally, the frequency of
their usage of obscene language in both places is low. However, there is a significant gap in
each level of frequency, as the students have a higher frequency of cursing or swearing in
school.

The reputation of the academic institution and of its students are greatly affected by how
Knollers, a common name affixed with MCHS students, compose themselves and as the
institution values the refinement of its students, the concepts revolving around upholding this
image were inquired by the researchers. The thoughts of the participants about the definition of
being a “REFINED LADY” and their views on the statement of this topic written on the 2014
Edition of the Student Handbook are asked to comprehend the current perception of this trait.
As a result, 44% of the respondents or one hundred and seventy-six (176) students mention
that they believe in maintaining this appearance, however, the definition of the institution is
somehow different from how they perceive it. 33% of the participants agree that it is a necessity
to be in accordance with the expectations of the school in adopting a disposition that is “lady-
like.” Considering that a majority of the students view the ideal as an important factor in meeting
the mission and vision of the school, as depicted in Graph 4.1, this contribution to being a role
model must be maintained but modified and emphasized more as to support the fact that its
meaning may have a variation and to encourage the 9% to care about the values the school is
representing. In relation to this, the interpretation of being a “refined lady” by students is also
inquired, as stated in this school year‟s Student Handbook. 67% said that reflecting good
education and possessing good manners would suffice the criteria of a refined lady while 18%
mentioned that an individual who is very elegant and well-cultured describes a woman of
refinement. The participants‟ definitions are essential as these descriptions can be utilized in
having distinctions for the ideals of the school.

32
 Qualitative Analysis

Survey Results (Essay Questions)

As the culmination of the survey conducted on profanity, two essay questions are asked
in order for the proponents to gauge the true stand of the respondents. In the first question, the
respondents are asked if swearing and/or cursing should be tolerated, and they are asked to
support their claim. As expected, the answers are varied, and actually divided into three main
responses, wherein one side condemned profanity, whilst the other accepted it. The third
category comprises of those who are not quite sure as to which side they are on, since they
consider both its advantages and disadvantages.

In the first category, which is composed of those who oppose the toleration of
obscenities, the students focus on the moral implications of swearing as this goes against the
teachings of the Church and the ideals of the institution. One respondent mentions that this
bothers her conscience when she utters maledictions, thus showing that there is an innate
feeling of guilt upon committing this act. One‟s image is also considered since although they
admit that this is socially accepted within the high school, once the students step outside the
campus, their habit of cursing could be severely frowned upon by those outside, especially
since they come from an exclusive all-girls‟ school that boasts of breeding empowered and
refined ladies. Another reason given by these students is that this hurts and offends other
people. There are several other means of expressing oneself that is less vulgar and more
wholesome.

For those who support profanity, they argue that this is an uncontrollable habit especially
when certain situations arise, but they also assert that these words are not directed to anyone,
including themselves, thus not causing any harm. Some also view swear words as simply words
that have gained negative connotations with the passage of time, so they believe that maybe
every single word known to man will eventually be considered as taboo. As a follow-up to that
argument, they also quoted the bible passage saying “Let any one of you who is without sin be
the first to throw a stone at her,” to prove that swearing is inevitable as almost everyone in
his/her lifetime has probably uttered a vulgar word, may it be done on purpose or accidentally.
Hence, to them, what people need to change their judgmental attitude as this type of language
is just a form of communication and should not be immediately mistaken as insults or hate

33
speech. Others simply believe in this stand because they believe that it is too difficult to remove
this habit from humanity as it has existed for so many centuries already.

A majority of the students who participated in the survey fall under the third category as
they believe that although humans are given the right to freely express themselves, there should
be a limit to this especially when it causes offense to other people. As long as swearing does
not ruin a person‟s reputation, then they do not see any reason as to why this would be a
serious issue. They believe that this could be acceptable in some instances, especially since
profanity has somehow attached itself to the culture of modern society today, thus making it
hard to stop for people to restrain themselves from the occasional slip of the tongue. Hence,
they believe in tolerating profanity, as long as sensitivity is also applied in those circumstances
of using obscenities.

The final question in this survey serves as a supplement to the first essay question since
it questions if the universal right to freedom of speech justifies the usage of profane language.
As compared to the first question, the responses garnered for this one seem to have a more
passionate and stronger tone, since the answers clearly show conviction, with the exemption of
a few who did not comprehend the question or did not know how to answer it. While the insights
of the students are quite divided in the previous question, the topic of this essay question, which
is freedom of speech, is seen as a black-or-white matter. They only answer either yes or no,
and there are more respondents in favor of the former than the latter. Those who consider
profanity as justifiable due to freedom of speech state that this should not even be asked as the
answer is already in the question itself. They emphasize “freedom” to be unbounded, lest it
should be contradictory to the essence of liberty. One respondent also cites the subjectivity of
some terms such as “offense” and “refinement,” and then relates this to the fact that there is no
objective standard as to whether or not a word is considered as “bad.” Furthermore, they argue
that the world's perception of words is only a social construct, while rights are universally
accepted, and so the right to speech justifies the usage of these words.

Contrary to this, the other students strongly reject this supposed justification and even
see this as a simple excuse for swearing. To these respondents, those who use their freedom of
speech to utter vulgar words are actually abusing this right because swearing does not make
sense and is actually illogical. Being endowed with this universal freedom warrants
responsibility by upholding good values and standing up for what is right and just, not obscene

34
and malicious. People have the liberty to speak their minds and hearts out but freedom of
speech does not encourage profanity. After all, this right was made so that everyone can freely
express their opinions and swearing does not help in delivering their opinions in a way that will
be immediately accepted by society. Instead of supposedly being a source of emotional and
physical relief, it worsens a situation as it is a release of violence and negativity, even if it has no
direct recipient. Despite the claims of some that profanity brings color to language, it actually
corrupts and stains the beauty of language with its black tint of vulgarity. As another student
stated, “The universal right to freedom of speech is taken as a liberty, but it is your privilege to
express yourself in a responsible/accountable manner.”

Interviews
As the thoughts, opinions and suggestions of a large number of students are taken so
that the phenomenon of swearing among MCHS students can be carefully analyzed, the
responses of several faculty and administrative members of the institution are also taken into
account. Mr. Villafuerte and Ms. Areola, two Christian Life teachers, Mrs. Arrieta, Grade 12
guidance counselor, Ms. De Guzman, the Grade Level Coordinator for Grade 12, Ms. Roman,
the Assistant Principal for Student Affairs, and Dr. Fermin, the Principal of the high school unit,
along with Rev. Fr. Flores, are asked to further elaborate on this issue especially due to their
expertise, knowledge, and experience of being mentors of the youth. Indeed, their answers
serve as a strong basis that supported the fact that proponents‟ assertion on the prevalence of
profanity among the students of this institution.

Upon being asked to define profanity, all the interviewees mention the use of obscene or
offensive language which can possibly harm others verbally, but Dr. Fermin (personal
communication, January 21, 2015) and Ms. Areola (personal communication, January 14, 2015)
also mention that this is not only confined to words, but also in one‟s actions. They all state that
although the MCHS community strictly prohibits the usage of obscenities, especially since this
goes against the values being taught in class, students curse as a method of self-expression.
Mr. Villafuerte (personal communication, December 12, 2014) claims that this violates the 2 nd
Commandment, otherwise known as “Thou shall not use the Lord‟s name in vain,” and Rev. Fr.
Flores (personal communication, December 28, 2014) further backed this up by saying that
anything offensive is against basic ethics, thus being considered as a sin. Mrs. Arrieta (personal
communication, December 12, 2014) explains that this tendency is probably just a form of
escape for the students, so instead of expressing their strong emotions by saying long

35
statements, they opt for a single weird with a great impact. She also articulates that this
behavior does not only reflect a person‟s character, but also the environment and people she
grew up with.

Considering that the utilization of obscene language is a form of self-expression, it puts

into question when the line should be drawn between a person‟s right to exercising his/her
freedom of speech and the usage of foul language. For Dr. Fermin (personal communication,
January 21, 2015), this is a difficult question to answer, but he believes that the deliberate effort
to hurt and ruin crossed the line because despite the manner one says a certain malediction, be
it jokingly or angrily, that person has already offended someone, as he said, “the damage has
been done.” Mr. Villafuerte (personal communication, December 12, 2014) quoted the MCHS
student handbook, which stated that MCHS “delights in responsible freedom.” When one
irresponsibly uses words and/or gestures of a vulgar nature in the general public, then he/she
has crossed that line. He further expounds on this by establishing the fact that everyone has
freedom, but this is limited. Albeit freedom being finite, it is not miniscule, as this can be very
vast. He thinks that boundaries should be taken positively as this serves as a proper guide for
people on how to use their liberties prudently. Ms. Areola also states that respect serves as the
line between the two, as everyone deserves to be respected and to be seen as people with
dignity as they were created in the image and likeness of God. However, according to Mrs.
Arrieta (personal communication, December 12, 2014), the motive of the person in saying these
expletives must be looked into, because if these swear or curse words are not directed at
someone then they are not considered as offensive, and this could go the other way around as
some harmless, day-to-day words can evolve into profanity as these words can be uttered with
the intention to hurt and offend.

The opinions of the interviewees in terms of making the sanctions for profanity to be
made heavier are also considered, especially after all of the interviewees acknowledged the
stand of the school on this issue. They all agree that the disciplinary measures regarding
violations against rules on respect are acceptable and fair, thus no revisions must be made. Ms.
Areola (personal communication, January 14, 2014) suggests, however, that instead of
changing the sanctions, the implementation of the rules and regulations must be improved. Ms.
De Guzman (personal communication, December 10, 2014) also mentions that separating the
verbal and online incidents regarding this issue is not necessary due to the fact that the
instances of professing a student‟s feelings through social media is a part of the whole picture.

36
In relation to this, Mr. Villafuerte (personal communication, December 12, 2014) thinks that the
penalty for students, as elaborated on the 2014 Edition of the Student Handbook, is acceptable
and just – which is supported by Rev. Fr. Flores (personal communication, December 28, 2014)
who says that as long as justice is employed in the situation, it would suffice the amount of
punishment the members of the high school department deserve. Dr. Fermin (personal
communication, January 21, 2014) has said that individuals of the institution who utter these
terms must also take into consideration the circumstances of saying coarse words wherein two
aspects are looked at: the cause that aggravated and/or mitigated the behavior. Ms. Arrieta
(personal communication, December 12, 2014), on the other hand, states that taking into
account that profanity is an “‟in‟ thing” should not serve as an excuse in conveying a person‟s
message through this medium of expression. Ms. Roman (personal communication, January
12, 2015) also mentions that the students are aware of the presence of teachers and faculty
members for the students can control themselves to be able to act in an orderly manner.

Taking into account that all interviewees recognized that the stand of MCHS (and that of
the Church) is against the obscene language, the interviewees are asked to distinguish methods
that would aid in maintaining the well-being of the members of the high school unit and hopefully
minimize the number of students who curse. Ms. Roman (personal communication, January 12,
2015), Ms. Areola (personal communication, January 14, 2015), and Ms. Arrieta (personal
communication, December 12, 2014) have suggested that collaboration with parents is essential
since some households allow the utilization of obscenities. Furthermore, Ms. De Guzman,
(personal communication, December 10, 2014) Dr. Fermin (personal communication, January
21, 2015), and Rev. Fr. Flores (personal communication, December 28, 2014) have stressed
the value of upholding courtesy and respect that leads to exercising basic ethics. Mr. Villafuerte
(personal communication, December 12, 2014), on the other hand, has mentioned that the
school should be pro-active regarding this issue to prevent any unpleasant event from taking
place.

Distinguishing different points of view gives a glimpse on how profanity is in varied

circumstances. The fact that discrepancies exist also shows that the data above must have a
hidden explanation waiting to be revealed to identify the current situation of obscenities and to
realize several methods of minimizing its frequency.

37
Social Experiment
To further attest to the hypothesis of this study, which states that MCHS students are
prone to making use of expletives especially during situations that would entail them to convey
their strong sentiments, a social experiment was administered. During the lunch period of the
students, the proponents started setting up four boxes containing items of various texture, size,
temperature and consistency, which are hidden from the view of those passing by, as they were
stored in boxes with holes. These items consisted of a stuffed toy, game tokens, clay with ice,
and a cup full of jelly and ice. Upon ensuring that all materials were ready to begin the
experiment, random passersby were asked if they would like to join in a simple study and a total
of ten students agreed to participate.

While the experiment was being conducted, it is observed that more than half of them
reacted nervously upon wearing the blindfold which temporarily eliminates their sense of sight.
Most students hesitated to put their hand in the hole of the first box, and immediately squeal
upon touching the first object. Some students, however, remain quiet and speculative while
trying to guess the identity of the mystery object. The high energy level of the students remains
constant all throughout the experiment, but for eight of the students, this reached its climax
upon touching the last object, which is the cup of jelly and ice. Three of these students shriek
loudly, which attracted the attention of the others and caused somewhat of a disturbance for
some, while the other five cursed, in varying volumes. The swear words uttered are “shit,”
“putang ina,” “fuck,” “oh my god,” and “gago.” The other two students remain calm all throughout
the entire duration of the social experiment. After removing their blindfolds, some of the students
laugh out of relief, while some swear at the proponents by saying “Gago ka!” (You‟re foolish!) in
a joking tone upon seeing the contents of the mystery boxes. Upon the completion of this social
experiment, the objectives are met as it proved that a majority of the students did indeed turn to
obscene words to verbalize their feelings and to release their pent-up emotions considering that
half of the participants cursed.

Focus Group Discussion

Bearing in mind the great responsibility given to the Lingkod Kapwa Club members in
enforcing school rules, their input is very crucial to this study as they have more opportunities of
interacting with their fellow MCHS students; thus, they get to observe the behavior and decorum
of the students even when the teachers are not around. Hearing their perspective on the topic

38
somehow depicts the opinion of the members of the academic institution, as they are the ones
who relate to upholding discipline in the community.

Acknowledging that the chosen students are fully aware of the regulations of the school,
the proponents believe that these members refrain from swearing as they are seen as role
models for the rest of the student body. Contrary to this assumption, the L-Kap members admit
to using obscenities frequently, even within the campus. Despite this shocking revelation, they
maintain this participative and honest disposition as they were being questioned on the state of
rule enforcement in terms of swearing. One member of the group mentions that they do not
really implement them since a lot of people in the high school unit speak vulgar terms, which
makes it harder for them to control and pinpoint individuals who utter expletives. Another
participant explain that another reason why it is hard to restrain the students from swearing is
that these people probably grew up with this type of language and they got used to it already.
Thus, she thinks that it would be hard to suddenly make a person stop saying words and
expressions they have gotten accustomed to for so many years already. Also, the fact that their
group does not consider profanity as a problem to be solved due to the fact that it is something
the students are used to and it is supposedly socially accepted nowadays shows the reason
why the members do not impose infractions. They all agree that it is unrealistic to suddenly
eliminate swearing, especially since this would mean that the students would be forced to go out
of their comfort zone (as cursing is supposedly a relieving habit) and even change themselves,
considering that this has been a part of their lives for a long time. They also saw swearing as
non-offensive when done in the company of one‟s peers, especially if this is not directed to
anyone in particular. Being mindful of where one is and who she is with is what is important,
according to another L-Kap member. Thus, the deciding factor that would cross the line is if
another individual is offended by one‟s utterance of vulgar terms.

Despite the negative feedback on forbidding profanity, a member said that the best thing
to could be done is to limit it. The club also states that spreading awareness about this issue is
the first step in making sure that people understand how this behavior becomes a habit and
offensive to their peers. They suggest on starting this corrective measure early as this is usually
a habit adopted by most students even before or right when they reach high school. A member
asserted that non-offensive substitutes could be given to replace expletives. In combatting
profanity, they are also willing to give infractions to those who do not follow the rules. A problem
that they foresee, however, is how one can qualify if a certain word or expression is considered

39
as taboo. The L-Kap members also want to make sure that the students are aware of the true
meaning of the words that they are mindlessly uttering, as this could help in convincing them to
stop using obscenities. Their cooperation is significant as they contribute in thinking of ways in
reaching the objective of this study. The side of the students is further analyzed as they
somehow reiterate the opinion of the MCHS student body.

40
 Data Interpretation

Interpretation of Survey Results

Existence of Profanity among MCHS Students

As the primary objective of this paper is to corroborate the initial hypothesis, which
asserts that MCHS students are fluent in the language of profanity, the respondents are asked if
they adopt such language previously. As a result, a majority of the students, specifically 97.25%
of them, admit to utilize obscenities in the past, while only 2.75% of the respondents claim that
they never use obscenities in their whole life. Indeed, the responses for this survey question
affirm the conjecture previously stated by the proponents. Despite proving the prevalence of
profanity among the students, its pervasiveness must be contextualized, as this can be a
product of their family background and upbringing, peer pressure, and other social influences.
Hence, a student may develop this swearing tendency as a result of the philosophies instilled by
the influential people in her life, as well as society in general, thus not solely out of her own will.
Some instances also hold wherein one can have accidentally or purposely uttered obscene
words during their early to adolescent years, but have ceased in cursing and swearing as they
mature.

Seeing the large number of students who engage in profanity and considering the fact
that there are many aspects to it, as it could be done in so many ways, their manner of swearing
is also questioned. The most common method of using expletives is actually done verbally,
although mental swearing is also done frequently. Albeit the 2% difference, the gap between the
two most common ways of utilizing profanity signifies that students are more inclined to express
their emotions out loud, instead of just keeping it to themselves through their thoughts. On a
positive note, they are truly exercising their freedom of speech because they do not let social
standards get in the way of their self-expression, but this also has a negative implication as this
could signify that some participants do not think before they speak. Instead of filtering the words
that they utter, the students immediately say what they are accustomed to upon coming across
a certain situation, such as in times of panic or pain. Several events that would cause a person
to experience strong emotions serve as the stimuli that would automatically make a person blurt
out vulgar terms. Comparing the preference of the students to swear online more than in writing
them on paper also portrays the freedom they feel on the internet rather than writing obscenities
on paper itself. Apart from verbal, mental, online, and written cussing, some of the respondents

41
mentioned that they whispered taboo words as well, especially in the presence of adults and
school authorities, or simply when they are completely alone. This selective tendency to swear
could be due to their fear of being scolded and/or sanctioned by these adults as they, the
students, are aware of how foul language is frowned upon by their parents, older relatives,
teachers, administrators, etc. Others mention that they used this online although not through
publicly posting such words on social networking sites, but through chat, wherein they talk to
their friends with no judgment or bias. Texting and messaging are also given as other mediums
of profanity which show that some people tend to use obscene language with people they trust
and are comfortable with. There are those who also opt to use subtle versions of common
swear words such as “fudge, shoot, son of a gun, holy cow,” etc. These examples exhibit the
participants‟ awareness of how society, or at least the high school institution, does not advocate
profanity, thus they are confined to doing this privately. Some students even claim that they
cursed in their dreams, which meant that this habit of swearing has penetrated their
subconscious, such that this has become a part of the thoughts, images, and emotions they
experience during her slumber. Moving beyond verbal swearing, the students also cite that they
do not just consider words, whether spoken out loud, in their minds or online, as the only
manifestations of profanity. This could also be conveyed through one‟s gestures, such as the
infamous “middle finger” hand gesture, which is considered as offensive to most people. Hence,
contrary to the common notion that profanity is restricted to the utterance of maledictions, this
could also be expressed through one‟s actions, especially due to the saying, “actions speak
louder than words.”

Nature of Profanity Utilized

The long list of curse words, which comprises of 3226 words or 440 unique words,
presents how these young girls are so knowledgeable of these taboo words. Another
characteristic of the words and phrases written by the participants is that they are not only
confined to the English and Filipino language, the two main languages of the country. In addition
to the number of coarse words the students have written, the variation of languages is also
taken note of. The following styles of speaking are Filipino, English, Nihongo, French, Spanish,
Swedish, Serbian, Russian, Korean, Mandarin, and German, thus the words listed down come
from 11 languages from different parts of the globe. Their knowledge on foreign swear words
could be due to the exposure given to them by their respective Foreign Language teachers,
especially since some words in Mandarin, Nihongo, Spanish and French acquire double

42
meanings if pronounced or stressed differently. Aside from being rooted in the lessons taught to
them in their FL classes, their own curiosity could be held liable for their comprehension of such
foreign vulgar terms. As they embark on their journey towards being global citizens of the world,
they also become exposed to the darker side of the different languages that they encounter,
thus the school, especially the teachers, must emphasize and not advocate the usage of these
terms because these are still offensive to others, even if these words are not commonly used in
Philippine society. This list not only proves that MCHS students are well-acquainted with
profanity, but it poses a truth that a universal list of obscene words does not exist, as there are
so many languages and cultures with different takes on profanity that would make it difficult to
consolidate one list, which would encapsulate all these words, especially with the consideration
that society and language are both evolving as the decades and centuries pass.

With the implication that these students not only know these terms but also their
meanings, this puts into question the reason why they utilize these words and/or expressions
upon knowing that they are offensive and abusive. According to Graph 2.2, MCHS primarily use
this type of language as a means of expressing their emotions, while some also perceive this as
an act of rebellion, manifestation of authority, or simply a way of joining the bandwagon to be
part of the trend. This heightened tendency of swearing upon experiencing extreme emotions is
explicitly shown in Graph 2.1 wherein the highest levels of frequency were the 4 th and 5th levels,
which show that the emotions that were mentioned push and provoke the students to turning to
expletives as a means of calming their emotional state. Whilst considering that profanity is used
for cathartic relief, this reason does not justify their usage for it, as there are over a million words
in the English dictionary, which means that there are a million more for the other six thousand
five hundred (6500) languages in the world. It might be fallacious to base one‟s intelligence on
their frequency of using profanity, but it is a reflection of their close-mindedness as this depicts
how they limit themselves to communicating through the use of foul language. Miriam College
High School students are trained to be adept in language, both in English and Filipino, as well
as in French, Mandarin, Spanish or Nihongo, thus they have no reason to simply use those
words because they are being taught in their classes how to effectively convey their points,
feelings, and thoughts, which definitely excludes the usage of profanity.

Attitude towards Profanity

The utility of execration is further discussed upon asking the students what they believed
was its principal benefit and 80% believed that its emotional benefits, as they have mentioned

43
previously as their main reason for using obscenities, made it appealing to most people. On the
other hand, 56 students think that this offered no advantages at all, which is surprising as only
11 students claimed that they do not curse. This statistic proves that there are some students
who swear, but do not see its usage. They only use this type of language due to the social
programming that they have gotten used to. There is a probability that these students could
have grown up in an environment that tolerated and even saw obscenities as a part of their
vocabulary and daily conversations. This assumption was somehow disproved in Graph 1.3
wherein students declared that they rarely cursed at home and in school as the levels of
swearing were relatively low for both settings. Despite the low frequency, there is still a
considerable difference between the rates of swearing of the students at home and in school
since students were more inclined to curse in school than in their own homes. This could be a
manifestation of the students‟ upbringing and family background, since although some allow it,
most parents ban obscenities in their household, but as the students enter the school gate, they
are given a greater sense of liberty in several aspects, including their freedom of speech.
Hence, this could explain why they tend to swear more in school, since not all of their words are
strictly and closely monitored as compared to that of in their homes. This paints a negative
image of the school‟s implementation of its rules against obscene and abusive language, since
the students‟ frequency of swearing increases in the institution.

To explore both sides of profanity, the disadvantages of its utilization are also discussed.
The leading drawback of swearing, according to the participants, is that it eventually develops
into a habit that is hard to break, wherein it becomes a part of one‟s immediate reaction or
response to certain situations, thus not allowing a person to control herself. She might find
herself mindlessly swearing as it has become part of her system, which might be to her
disadvantage especially if she disrespects other people unintentionally, which leads to the
second highest-rated disadvantage. Aside from becoming a part of their verbal routine, this may
cause offense and harm to others. The popular saying, “Stick and stones may break my bones
but words won‟t hurt me,” may imply that words are not capable of causing pain to a person, but
contrary to that, verbal abuse exists and is one of the highest forms of violence in the
workplace. One may swear or curse jokingly but this may cause others to feel uncomfortable
and unsafe. Words have the power to build up and encourage people, but this may also lead to
one‟s destruction as this affects others‟ mental and emotional state. Aside from these, the ideal
of being a refined lady is not also achieved upon using this type of language since this act does
not fit the category of civility and politeness.

44
 Being a Catholic school, the institution also upholds the Ten Commandments, and the
violation of the 2nd Commandment was also considered by some students as a disadvantage. A
noticeable response is that only 13 students believed that giving MCHS a bad image was a
negative effect of cussing, which implies that the students do not really mind the implication of
their actions to their school. There is a sense of detachment for the students with respect to
their school, since they care more about their individual reputations rather than their school‟s
reputation.

Considering that the Student Handbook has specified for a relatively long duration of
time the expectations of the school with the behavior and decorum of its students, it is
noticeable on how some members of the academic institution do not relate the definition of
being a “refined lady” to the manner the community does. This then has results to the
implication that the definition of the attribute has not clearly satisfied the views of the students –
especially they are the ones who will have to portray this image to represent the ideals of the
school. It is also viewed as the appearance of the trait varied as the time frame of today has
become more liberal and accepting. In relation to this, the own meaning of ascribing an ideal
figure to students are also elaborated such that most of the respondents stated that someone
who is polite with good education are adequate in meeting the standards of the characteristic
while a lower numerical figure declared that a person who is elegant and well-cultured meets
the criteria of the aforementioned image. However, the gap between these two definitions show
that the students have their own perception of this vague ideal, a majority of the students still
believes in the former definition. Having these specifications in mind can greatly administer in
distinguishing the characteristics of a refined lady, which can be supplemented by adding these
statements in the handbook.

Essay Questions
To conclude the survey, the students are asked to state their stand on whether or not
swearing should be accepted. This is strategically located at the latter part of the questionnaire
so as to let the respondents consider other factors, such as its utility, advantages and
disadvantages which are tackled beforehand, so as to let them reflect on the other factors
instead of immediately stating their initial stand. Indeed, its placement is effective as some
respondents used the preceding questions as a reference for their essay answers.

45
 As seen in the analysis portion of this chapter, the responses for the first essay question
are divided into three, which shows that there is a variety of stands and insights on this topic.
For those who rejected the toleration of the utilization of obscenities, they seem to have a good
moral foundation as their main argument is grounded on their faith and conscience. They reflect
the successful impartment of values and ideals of the school to them, as they strongly asserted
that the prevalence of profanity does not equate to its appropriateness. On the opposing side of
this debate are those who accept the usage of expletives since they believe that removing this
part of human nature through its prohibition is unrealistic, since it has been instilled in humans
for a long time that it would be inevitable to unlearn this habit. They also sense no harm in
uttering maledictions as they are used for self-expression and not for threats or insults. The
judgmental attitude of people is also criticized by them, since they stated that everyone has
cursed at least once in their life, which is not necessarily true. Just as the habit of cursing has
seeped into the minds of people, so has the automatic disapproval of people, especially adults,
to those who swear. Their acceptance and tolerance of profanity could be a reflection of their
background as well, since they might have grown up with social influences, such as family,
relatives and friends, who consent to the usage of expletives. Another reason behind their stand
could be their open-mindedness and liberality, since their mindset has adapted to that of
modern age thinking. Despite their way of thinking, it also mirrors how they are close-minded to
trying to change their swearing tendencies as some reasoned that it is too difficult to remove
this from their system. Torn between these two sides are those who belong to the third
category, who believe that profanity can be acceptable, provided that its utilization meets certain
conditions. Social sensitivity is considered as their main deciding factor, since it marks the
boundary between being simply expressive and being downright abusive. These students‟
response could be due to the fact that they recognize the widespread utilization of maledictions,
such that they know that having an adaptable disposition is key in facing this serious issue.
Although they do not wholeheartedly consent to profanity, they do not condemn those who use
it as a way of catharsis. As most respondents are a part of this category, it shows how the
MCHS population could have adopted this mindset as well, such that they view profanity as
something acceptable, but with its own limits.

Finally, the astounding gap between the responses for the last essay question, regarding
freedom of speech being a justification for swearing, shows that this right is taken seriously by
the students. Since a large number of respondents see their acts of swearing as excusable due
to this right, they have the tendency of continuing to say obscenities with the belief that they are

46
not offending anyone since they have the liberty to proclaim whatever they wished. Clearly, they
value the freedom given to them to express themselves, however, they are not considering the
possible implications of their words to those around them. They may argue that taboo words are
just social constructs and are a natural means of expressing one‟s strong emotions, but these
words go against the 2nd Commandment and as they admitted, evoke a sense of
conscientiousness and guilt within them. Thus, there is an innate sense of opposition against
these words, no matter how much they claim that these words are harmless. For those who do
not agree with them and claim that swearing actually abuses this liberty, they are similar to
those who do not tolerate swearing as they recognize the universal truth that everything is
limited, including human rights. They see that being given the great power of speaking one‟s
mind, heart, and soul out freely comes the great responsibility of using this for the greater glory
of the Lord.

Interpretation of the Interviews

Alongside the results of the survey are the insights of the faculty and administrative
members of the high school unit, as well as a representative of the Church, whose responses
are key in order to completely and clearly understand the undertakings of the school in
promoting its core values, which supports the advocacy of this paper. For all of the interviewees,
there is a clear cognizance of what profanity it is, including not just their stand regarding this
social behavior, but the school‟s stand on this matter as well. They all agree that profanity is
defined as the utilization of words and actions that disrespects, offends, and affects the
sensibilities of others. Despite their unanimous opposition to obscenities, their stand on the
issue seems to be of various shades, with some being lighter than the rest.

Upon consulting with Ms. De Guzman (personal communication, December 10, 2014),
as she is well aware of all the infractions and disciplinary cases of the students, about the
prevalence of profanity among MCHS students, she stated that it is not a problem if this is
based on the number of infractions given due to this particular violation of school rules. As
compared to the number of infractions garnered by students due to not bringing their ID‟s to
school or not giving an excuse letter after a leave of absence, that of swearing or cursing in
school is significantly low. In view of the fact that this phenomenon is not common and is “not as
serious as stealing,” she also explains that the reason why the sanction for the usage of
expletives was downgraded from dismissal to suspension is that it does not fit the requirements
established in the context of restorative justice. She mentions that the two conditions that would

47
cause a student to be dismissed from the institution is that, firstly, her actions affect the entire
community, and secondly, they also put the security of the students at risk and the school‟s
reputation as well. Her assertions appear to contradict the data presented by the survey results,
wherein 97% of the students admit to using maledictions and 35% even verbally curse.
Although it could be argued that this should be contextualized, Graph 1.3 illustrates that despite
the supposed low frequency of swearing of the students in both their homes and in school, the
latter setting still has a higher rate of frequency. With the common notion that school is a young
learner‟s second home, one assumes then that the school should also be nurturing and instilling
wholesome values in its students, so that they grow up into responsible citizens. The
disciplinary cases previously mentioned by Ms. De Guzman (personal communication,
December 10, 2014) are examples of how the school aims to teach responsibility to its students,
but profanity teaches a value that is equal to this in terms of its magnitude of importance, which
is respect. Agreeing to this are Mr. Villafuerte (personal communication, December 12, 2014),
Ms. Areola (personal communication, January 14, 2015), Dr. Fermin (personal communication,
January 21, 2015), and Rv. Fr. Harley (personal communication, December 28, 2014), who also
believe in the essentiality of respect in trying to eliminate profanity. Mr. Villafuerte (personal
communication, December 12, 2014) stresses the need for students to not forget one of the
eleven values that Mother Mary Joseph, the school‟s founder, wanted her students to learn and
development, which is Gracious Courtesy. If the students exercise this, then they are more likely
inclined to give due respect to others through their words and deeds, as opposed to succumbing
to external influences that might push them to swear and in turn hurt other people, may it be
intentionally or unknowingly. Ms. Areola (personal communication, January 14, 2015) also urges
each one to recognize the inherent dignity of each human being, which deserves to be
respected in all possible ways, especially in one‟s manner of speaking to a person.
In relation to this, Ms. Roman (personal communication, January 12, 2015), the
Assistant Principal of the high school department, mentions similar assertions wherein the
necessity of relaying coarse terms to be able to express oneself is not required. She firmly
believes that there has to be a better way in conveying the emotions of a person where curse
words are not involved in such occurrences. The relationship between the answers of Ms.
Roman‟s and Ms. De Guzman‟s resort to the fact that the enforcement of certain policies does
not suffice in meeting the mission and vision of the school wherein the vocabulary of the person
is at fault when it comes to utilizing profane terms, as mentioned by the latter. The fact that
there is a main concept that would mold its students to be the leaders of tomorrow is initiated in
a manner that does not effectively develop the holistic formation of students since a majority of

48
the respondents still continue to use obscenities in situations that do not call for the need to say
such terms. Both individuals have also initiated on taking upon the cause of this behavior such
that it does not completely solve problems but only provides temporary relief. The
aforementioned assumption of the stated people also gives the impression that profanity is an
automatic outlet where one can channel her emotions and profess them to her peers.

Hence, as all the interviewees strongly deny that profanity should be tolerated, several
suggestions are made to arrive at the objectives of this paper. These can then be seen as a
method of continuing the development of the strong moral foundation of its students. In spite of
the contentment of the interviewees on the rules regarding profanity, thus refusing to increase
the penalty of this offense, they all feel the strong need to counter this growing trend among
their students. To counter this, according to Ms. De Guzman (personal communication,
December 10, 2014), the homeroom modules, such as the one on time management and one‟s
digital footprint, but more importantly, she proposes on having a wider range of vocabulary to be
able to elaborately describe a person‟s feelings. On the other hand, Mr. Villafuerte (personal
communication, December 12, 2014) focuses on being proactive such that prevention is
emphasized so that negative incidents are precluded. Also, a systematic and developmental
procedure of administering modules is also stressed to be able to ensure that the objectives of
homeroom activities are being met. In addition to this, teachers should be pioneered into
thinking that they are role models of the students and must be able to conduct themselves
properly, which is supported by Ms. Arrieta‟s motion as well. Moreover, Ms. Areola and Ms.
Roman, and Ms. Arrieta have given the advice to tap the households of students since some of
them allow the utilization of expletives and this behavior is dependent on the upbringing of the
individual. Also, the value of respect and basic ethics, which are emphasized by Rev. Fr. Flores
and Dr. Fermin, must also be taken into consideration as they are moral principles that can
further contribute to the well-being of a student - which can be thoroughly talked about through
strengthening the CL department in discussing certain topics.

Taking into account the responses of these esteemed people, the minimization of
profanity poses as a problem as it primarily relies on the initiative of the students in changing
themselves and the verbal mannerisms they have grown accustomed to. Through the efforts of
the Christian Life Department, a more effective way of teaching the students the values of truth,
and integrity, most especially respect, could be developed in such a way that the students
themselves would be more engaged into actually applying these lessons in their day-to-day

49
lives. Another aspect that needs to be improved is the implementation of the institution‟s rules
and regulations, such that all are seen and treated fairly by all teachers and student officers.
The cooperation of the family is also integral in this road to transformation as they, specifically
the parents, strongly influence the students who look to them for moral support and guidance.

Interpretation of the Social Experiment

The instances at which the participants have cursed were during taut situations wherein
they get frustrated with identifying the items inside the boxes. Bearing this in mind, it can be
seen that it has been automatic for the students to react in that manner, which further supports
the researchers‟ assumptions. Furthermore, profanity can be viewed as an emotional venue to
be able to thoroughly express the feelings of the participants in circumstances that may cause
stress. The growing anxiety of the individual as she touches the object also somehow makes
her imagination twirl into thinking of the worst possible scenarios. They think of occurrences
which gives an impact on the manner they express themselves in the given situation. This
experiment can then be related on how spontaneous events - be it a surprise quiz, or an
impromptu speech - can cause their utterance of vulgar terms. The words students utter give an
implication on the most frequent coarse terms people utilize. The five aforementioned words
state that these terminologies are the first thing that comes into their minds in occurrences with
uncertainty. The results from the activity signify how members of the MCHS community usually
mention vulgar words to release extreme emotions since 50% of the students used profanity.
Therefore, the frequency of saying these terms, as supported by this social experiment, is
alarming especially in this institution as it continues to hone its students to be refined ladies.

Interpretation of the Focus Group Discussion

Having the opportunity to be able to conduct a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the
Lingkod Kapwa Club (L-kap) and to inquire the views and opinions of some individuals in key
positions of the community, their respective perception on this issue is taken into consideration
as they uphold the mission and vision of the school in monitoring the behavior of students. It is
noticeable how certain aspects of the discussion have variations especially between the two
aforementioned activities. It could be interpreted by how the time frames of the groups have
significant gaps. The fact that the youth, which can be represented by the members of the
stated club, has seen this behavior as an acceptable venue for students to freely convey their
insights in a given circumstance also depicts the different cultural conditions they are
surrounded with. However, this does not give them the permission to be able to side with the

50
fact that the utilization of the obscene language is a positive method in any activity they involve
in. The importance of values and respect must then be emphasized to give a clearer picture on
how profanity can negatively make an impact on the well-being of people such that the
reputation of the individual and of the school is also being affected by such terms. Indeed, the
social and cultural conditions from non-identical time frames somehow influence the perception
of certain modes of expression.

51
 Chapter V: Conclusion and Recommendation

Conclusion
Upholding the four core values of Truth, Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation, Miriam
College High School takes the initiative to mold its students into women leaders - as supported
by the mission and vision of the educational institution - through the holistic framework with a
strong priority on spiritual formation. Moreover, Christian values are given much importance and
attention, with the partnership of the students‟ families and the academic community, so that
they develop into young Filipino Catholic productive citizens and effective communicators in the
future. However - as proven by the results of the survey, focus group discussion, interviews, and
social experiment previously conducted - the frequency and application of obscene language
has been prevalent among the students of the high school department on a daily basis. It has
been established that the utilization of obscene language is seen as an acceptable venue where
one can freely convey her emotions without considering the fact that obscenities are offensive.
Tolerating this medium of expression by the learners of the mentioned unit has caught the
consciousness of the proponents of this academic paper to fully initiate in maintaining or in
strengthening the well-roundedness of MCHS students. The researchers have garnered several
methods in coming up with a reliable basis that would hopefully launch activities to counter this
behavior in response to that observation and awareness.

In general, the members of the community regard profanity as a means to express their
feelings, which is seen as its primary utility. In addition to this, the number of words the students
have full knowledge of is an immense implication that these terms, coming from eleven
languages, are mostly used in professing their emotions. On the other hand, the number of
people who do not believe in the meaning and/or concept of being a refined lady by the
institution, feel comfortable of using vulgar terms at home, and support this action with their own
respective reasons - be it emotional, psychological, medical, or social - gives a glimpse on
which aspect to tap in minimizing the numerical figure of students who turn to coarse words.
With the stated information, there is a need to emphasize the rules and regulations from the
MCHS Student Handbook, strengthen the CL department, establish a program regarding this
issue, reinforce family values, and further stress the responsibilities of L-Kap Members.

52
Recommendation
Subsequent to the completion of data gathering and analysis, the researchers reviewed
the procedures and methods employed in the hope of their study being extended in the future.
Taking all aspects of this mini-thesis paper into consideration, several enhancements must be
undertaken to improve the quality of this academic paper. One of which includes further
research on swearing, such as the various theories in analyzing this habit, which includes the
neurological, logical, and social aspects of profanity. Upon doing so, this would make the
analysis of the survey results to be easier as this would serve as its guide. Another
improvement could be done in the survey, which serves as one of the main bases of the
discussion of this paper. As opposed to how the researchers sent out the survey forms, wherein
90 hardcopies of this were given out to be able to quicken the gathering of data, whilst 310
respondents answered online, they should be distributed in a uniform manner. Albeit this did not
significantly affect the results, it might have influenced the students‟ attitude towards the survey,
wherein they could have felt more conscious and shy in truly voicing out their opinions on this
topic. More questions encapsulating the other components of profanity could have been asked
as well, such that a more detailed study establishing the correlation between one‟s swearing
tendencies to other factors such as their family background and social influences. This would
aid in distinguishing the developmental pattern use of profanity as this would enable the next
proponents in pinpointing where, when and how this habit was acquired. Students could also be
asked if they truly understand the meaning of the maledictions that they utter. Although 25% of
the student body, which is a statistically accepted number of respondents, participated in this
poll, the fact that this survey does not account for the other 75% or the rest of the student
population makes the findings not completely accurate. Thus, to remedy this, a school-wide
survey on the students could be done so that all opinions, sides, and suggestions could be
heard and rightly acted upon by the school administration especially since each and every
individual has her own unique experiences of profanity.

With regard to the interviews conducted, the input of other experts coming from the fields
of psychology and linguistics could also be taken into account, as profanity is a trend that is not
solely situated within the institution. Their unbiased judgment and perspective can be of great
assistance in alleviating this societal inclination to curse. In order to not just get a glimpse of the
perception of the law enforcers, otherwise known as the LKap members, a Focus Group
Discussion could also be arranged wherein students from all batches could be equally
represented so that a dialogue could occur so that they can verbalize their concerns and violent

53
reactions openly on profanity. Lastly, to further improve the simple social experiment that was
conducted, more trials could be done so as to prove the assertion that students curse upon
being scared or provoked. With all these suggestions, a more in-depth and detailed study could
be conducted on profanity and the other facets related to it.

54
 Chapter VI: Proposal

After successfully confirming and validating the proponents‟ assertion that profanity is a
prevalent occurrence among the students of Miriam College High School as it is their medium of
self-expression, it puts into question the morality behind this act, which is slowly turning into a
habit and social norm within the school. According to the MCHS Student Handbook (2014
edition), as well as the teachers and administrators who are interviewed for this academic
paper, this institution does not advocate the usage of such obscene and abusive language.
Although the Christian Life subject teaches the students in Grades 9 and 12 that the Church
deems cursing as immoral as this goes against the 10 Commandments, specifically the 2nd
Commandment which deals with “using God‟s name in vain,” students continue to use this type
of language. The incessant application of taboo words could be rooted in their unique and
individual upbringing, family backgrounds, and peer influence. There have been talks on social
graces and net etiquette; however, no emphasis is given to profanity and how this should not be
tolerated, especially since MCHS students are expected to be refined ladies. Hence, to prevent
the utilization of maledictions or expletives, the following programs are proposed that would
hopefully aid in attaining the goals and objectives of this academic paper - minimizing the
number of MCHS students who turn to obscene language, especially in situations that do not
call for it:

Ang Tatak ng Salita: The 2nd National Congress of the Filipino Family
Considering the fact that some households give the permission to their members to relay
their message through expletives, the researchers have taken into account that the families of
certain MCHS students need to be persuaded against the usage of obscene language.
Realizing that the number of students who strongly use profane terms to convey their emotions
at home is still significantly high, as previously elaborated in the fourth chapter, the necessity of
this matter to be discussed has risen, especially due to the fact that the reputation of the school,
of the family, and of the person rely on their medium of expression. To be able to achieve the
goal of this academic paper, the mission and vision of the institution, and the objective of the
school in shaping its students to be “refined ladies,” the cooperation of their “first teachers” is
significant in molding the leaders of tomorrow to find ways in releasing their extreme feelings in
a less vulgar manner. As the proponents have gathered information through interviews of
highly-respected individuals in the MCHS community, which was discussed in the previous
chapter, the matter of allowing peers to acknowledge a person‟s obstacles can be distinguished

55
in a manner that does not necessarily require the utilization of such coarse words. The
approach of an individual to a set of circumstances can be affected by how she is shaped such
that their reactions to rigorous conditions are also influenced. Taking these into consideration, it
is indeed beneficial to the success of this study to condition the parents wherein they would
understand that their selection of words can also give an impact to other members of the family.

In Ang Tatak ng Salita (Ang TaSa), the influence of the family on the growth and
development of each family member, especially that of the children‟s, is discussed and
explored, as the family dynamics of the current generation is constantly changing. Effective
communication is also to be discussed, due to the prevalent trend in society wherein the family
is not given a proper opportunity to express themselves to each other. This serves as an
avenue of also correcting one of the common tendencies that one adopts as a result of the
influence and wrong means of communication of the family, which is profanity. The program
name is also symbolic because Ang TaSa is translated as “The Cup” in English, which
represents one‟s cup of life, which can only be filled with the love of one‟s family.

In addition to this, the program requires the participation of certain experts about this
action (such as the nation‟s top linguists, psychologists and family counselors) to expound on
how profanity is not the proper method of communicating certain situation - preferably during the
celebration of the National Congress of the Filipino Family or NCFF in the following years
(considering that this program is continued by school administrators). The aforementioned
authorities would disseminate information on how obscenities can result to different perceptions,
which could create arguments in several circumstances. They can also use the results of this
paper to serve as a proof, and to aid them as well, in showing how evident the circulation of the
usage of certain terms somehow disrupt the ideals and values the school, the family, and the
individual uphold. On the other hand, they will not only focus on the facts about this topic but
also consider how this issue can be solved in a way that a lesser number of people would turn
to this manner. Considering the fact that these authorities can help in administering the weight
and impact of using this language at home, hopefully through the success of this program, the
students can also portray this ideal behavior in school. Indeed, the participation of their
guardians in this program can benefit the whole being of the student. A sample schedule is as
follows:
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM – Registration and Exhibits Opening
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Eucharistic Celebration

56
 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM – Opening Ceremonies
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM – Domino: A Seminar on the Strong Influence of the Family on the
Moral Formation of Children
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Lunch and Exhibits Viewing
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM – Talk „N Listen: A Plenary Panel Discussion on How
Communication is Key for Stronger Family Ties
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM – Question & Answer
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM – Mother Father!: A Seminar on Profanity and Respect
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Question & Answer and Congress Synthesis

Talk Against Profanity (TAP)

During today‟s time frame, the perception of profanity is relevant in such a way that there
are some people who take this method into account as an irrelevant way of explaining an
individual‟s side while there are others who consider it as something accepted by the society,
especially by the youth, as an automatic venue for conveying one‟s emotions. Taking into
consideration that the latter part has been noticeable in the academic institution, as proven by
the survey forms, this issue then calls forth for a change wherein the awareness of the true
implications of this matter is further disseminated, specifically to MCHS students as they uphold
the reputation and values of the Maryknoll Sisters.

To be able to fully have an understanding of the causes and effects, the advantages and
disadvantages, and the current status of the obscene language, the members of the MCHS
community are asked to participate in a seminar, entitled TAP, which stands for Talk Against
Profanity, wherein questions and clarifications can be posed to have a clearer line in
distinguishing the correct manner of presenting their reactions to such circumstances. Having
the opportunity to be in this event gives a valuable chance to differentiate the borders between
freedom of expression and the utilization of profanity can be properly discussed, to analyze the
impact of its usage to other members of the community, and to ponder on the proper
verbalization of emotions. This event will be aided with certain experts, particularly linguists and
psychologists, to additionally give information on the probable consequences of this decorum.
Also, this program will also focus on how a person can limit herself in the utterance of
expletives. Emphasizing the usage of correct terms is essential in the execution of this paper as
the students can greatly give a huge impact on her reputation and on the institution‟s image.
Hence, covering this topic is beneficial in the well being of the individual, and of the school.

57
 This is held on the month when the value of Gracious Courtesy is celebrated to be able
to focus on countering this behavior effectively.

Program Against Profanity and Indecency (PAPI)

As it is understood that a person‟s reliance on curse or swear words whenever they feel
the need to release strong emotions has become a regular practice for most people, one of the
solutions to slowly break this bad habit is through a rigorous program that would lessen, if not
totally eliminate, the student‟s dependence on profanity as a method of self-expression.
Through the support and facilitation of the Guidance Center of MCHS, particularly the guidance
counselors of each grade level, an after-school program entitled Program Against Profanity and
Indecency (PAPI), that will be done once a month for the whole school year, will be created to
address the students‟ need and desire to minimize their swearing tendencies. Considering that
true change should come from the person itself, signing up for this program will be done on a
warning system – wherein one warning will be given to a student for every instance she uttered
a curse word and after reaching five (5) counts she must participate in the PAPI – thus, no
coercion will be done in getting participants for this life-changing, monthly event.

In this event, psychologists and counselors from the Psychological Association of the
Philippines will be invited to act as the moderators of each PAPI session, so that the discussion
on profanity, its causes, effects, and exercises will be done professionally and in detail,
especially since the usage of obscenities has different degrees and variations, depending on the
student and her background. PAPI can be likened to a support group since the students will be
allowed and even encouraged to express themselves so that no repression of negative
emotions will be done, which could then trigger their tendency to curse once again. Before the
PAPI sessions begin, the students who signed up will be issued a letter asking for their parent‟s
permission. As mentioned previously, this will be conducted on a monthly basis, specifically on
the last Friday of the month after school, to put into consideration the other co- and extra-
curricular activities of the learners, without sacrificing the habitual check-up of the moderators of
the students‟ progress in eliminating their bad habit. However, the students will be asked to
keep a “Swearing Journal,” wherein they can write about their journey towards not cursing. This
will then be checked by the moderators during each meeting and they can discuss what each
student wrote as a group or privately.

58
 This program aims to free the students of their swearing habit by the end of the year,
after 10 sessions. This would also require them to be assertive, since it is solely up to them if
they really want to change for the better. Not only would they have to attend these sessions, but
they have to make their Behavior Modification Plan, which would require introspection and
visualization. Even if only a small number of students opted to join this program, this would still
be a start of the eradication of profanity among the students of the institution.

Strengthening of CL Curriculum
The Christian Life (CL) area curriculum of Miriam College High School comprises of the
doctrine, worship, moral, and action dimensions of the Catholic faith. In their first year in the
high school, students are taught about the Old Testament, thus including the Ten
Commandments, while in their second year, they learn about the New Testament and Jesus‟
teachings. In their third year, they focus on the letters of the apostles, the Church and its
sacraments. Lastly, they learn more about morality in their last year in the institution. Although
the students are given a detailed account of all the aforementioned topics, the application of the
values being taught in each bible story is not given much emphasis. One example of such is the
utterance of obscenities, which goes against the 2nd Commandment and Christian morality. The
CL department should create a separate module for freedom of speech and its limitations, as
stated by Pope Francis, considering that the present society is changing, thus social norms are
changing as well. However, despite this societal development and evolution, the message of
God through the Gospel should not be forgotten. There is a need for this topic to be given more
emphasis since human beings were made to communicate, with each other and even to the
Creator himself, but if this is not done with reverence and conviction, and instead with malice
and hatred, then this would not only go against the Church‟s teachings, but the school‟s ideals
of a Catholic student as well.

This can be fully administered during retreats and recollections and through certain
topics of the CL curriculum such as morality. A specific portion of these spiritual events is
allotted to teaching the students more about the correct manner of expressing themselves,
which is not through the usage of profanity.

Emphasis on Student’s Handbook

Upon the issuance of a new handbook, the students are required to sign and submit the
covenant that can be found on the last page of the handbook. This states that the student and

59
her parents agree to all the policies of the institution, but more often than not, students are not
aware of all the rules and regulations stated in this handbook, since they are not explicitly
discussed. With regard to this paper‟s topic, the infraction given to students who use “obscene
and abusive language” is not clearly explained. There are no parameters to this infraction, thus
giving a student an infraction for this offense could be questioned and could pave the way for
leniency, instead of the strict enforcement of these school rules.

In order to solve this dilemma, all Homeroom teachers must be required to discuss all
the rules, infractions, sanctions, etc. which are stated in the handbook, before the students are
required to submit the covenant. This discussion must be more comprehensive and clear,
especially when it comes to profanity. Seeing that a majority of the student population in the
high school curses or swears in school but are not given proper and just disciplinary actions due
to the vague and rather relative standards used to qualify which are obscenities and expletives.

Stressing the Responsibilities of L-Kap Members

As discussed in the methodology, the Lingkod Kapwa Club has played a vital role in
making sure that the behavior of MCHS students are tied up with the values and moral aspects
of the community. With the support of the institution‟s teachers and faculty members, the
members of the mentioned club will be given more authority such that they can give out
warnings (to support the PAPI) and infractions to those who utilized coarse terms. This is also
emphasized to acknowledge the group‟s importance with the whole-being of the academic
environment.

60
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Swearing and Offensive Language - All In A Day‟s Work?. HNE Handover: For Nurses
And Midwives, 2(1), 12-15. Retrieved
from http://journals.sfu.ca/hneh/index.php/hneh/article/view/47

Thorberg, R. (2008). School children‟s reasoning about school rules.

Research Papers in Education, 23(1), 37-52. Retrieved from http://liu.diva-
portal.org/smash/get/diva2:18301/FULLTEXT01.pdf

Tope, L., Nonan-Mercado, D., & Lin, Y. (2012). Cultures of the World:
Philippines. New York: Marshall Cavendish.

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 APPENDICES

Survey:
The Utilization of Profanity amongst MCHS Students

Hello! We, Graziela Delfin and Pamela Pascua, are students from POEE 12 and in partial fulfillment of
our requirements we are conducting a survey about profanity in the MCHS institution. Your honest and
sincere answers will be greatly appreciated and taken into consideration as we further study the usage of
swear words in school grounds.

Please encircle your answer.

1. Have you ever cursed?

a. Yes
b. No

2. In what manner do you curse?

a. Verbally (said out loud)
b. Online (posted/shared on social networking sites, blogs, etc.)
c. Mentally (only said in the mind)
d. Written (as random notebook doodles, vandalism on lavatory stalls, etc.)
e. Others: _____________________________________

3. List down as many bad/curse/swear words as you can.

On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest), how frequently do you use curse
words when you are:

4. Excited 1 2 3 4 5
5. Annoyed 1 2 3 4 5
6. Angry 1 2 3 4 5
7. Stressed 1 2 3 4 5

8. Why do you curse?

a. To be part of the trend
b. To express emotions freely

64
 c. To show authority
d. To rebel
e. Others (specify): __________

9. At an average, how many curse words do you say (verbal, written and/or online) AT HOME in a day?
a. 0 -5
b. 6 – 10
c. 11 – 15
d. 16 – 20
e. 21 or more

10. At an average, how many curse words do you say (verbal, written and/or online) IN SCHOOL in a day?
a. 0 -5
b. 6 – 10
c. 11 – 15
d. 16 – 20
e. 21 or more

11. What is the greatest benefit a person can have from swearing/cursing?
a. Medical (to have an increased pain tolerance)
b. Emotional (to be able to release one‟s strong emotions)
c. Psychological (to have the appearance and sense of superiority)
d. Social (to gain power and popularity)
e. These have no benefits
f. Others (specify): ___________

12. What is the greatest disadvantage a person can have from swearing/cursing?
a. You offend other people.
b. You do not appear like a civilized and refined lady.
nd
c. You disobey the 2 Commandment (i.e. Thou shall not use God’s name in vain.)
d. This becomes a daily habit.
e. It can give you a negative image.
f. It can give the school (MCHS) a bad reputation.
g. Others (please specify): _______________________________

13. As stated in the MCHS Student Handbook (2014 edition), “A Catholic Student of MCHS is always a
REFINED LADY.” How do you define being a “REFINED LADY”?
a. Someone who reflects good education and polite manners
b. Someone who acts according to the rules and expectations of teachers
c. Someone who should be soft-spoken and submissive to others
d. Someone who is very elegant and well-cultured
e. Others (specify): __________________________________________

13. What are your thoughts about being a “refined lady”?

a. It is necessary to follow the expectations of the school to act in a manner that is “lady-
like.”
b. I believe this ideal, but not how it is defined by the school.
c. It is not important to follow such decorum because being unique and being natural are
more significant.
d. I do not care.
e. Others (specify):
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

65
State your answer on the space provided.
Should swearing and/or cursing be tolerated? Why or Why not?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Does the universal right to freedom of speech justify the usage of profane language? Why or why not?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

66
Talligram

Table 1.1
Distribution of Responses of Survey Question Number 1:
Have you ever cursed?
Yes 389
No 11

Table 1.2
Distribution of Responses of Survey Question Number 2:
In what manner do you curse/swear?
Verbal 339
Online 188
Mentally 305
Written 103
Other 22

Table 1.3
Distribution of Responses of Survey Question Number 4:
On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being NEVER and 5 being ALWAYS), how frequently do you use
curse words when you are EXCITED?
1 66
2 85
3 91
4 109
5 49

Table 1.4
Distribution of Responses of Survey Question Number 5:
On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being NEVER and 5 being ALWAYS), how frequently do you use
curse words when you are ANNOYED?
1 25
2 39
3 75
4 133
5 128

Table 1.5
Distribution of Responses of Survey Question Number 6:
On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being NEVER and 5 being ALWAYS), how frequently do you use
curse words when you are ANGRY?
1 19
2 27
3 44
4 139
5 171

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Table 1.6
Distribution of Responses of Survey Question Number 7:
On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being NEVER and 5 being ALWAYS), how frequently do you use
curse words when you are STRESSED?
1 27
2 44
3 72
4 143
5 114

Table 1.7
Distribution of Responses of Survey Question Number 8:
Why do you curse?
To be part of the trend 9
To express emotions freely 370
To rebel 26
To show authority 13
Others 53

Table 1.8
Distribution of Responses of Survey Question Number 9:
What is the greatest disadvantage of swearing/cursing?
You offend other people 82
You do not appear like a civilized and refined lady 68
You disobey the 2nd Commandment (i.e. Thou shall not use God‟s
63
name in vain.)
This becomes a daily habit 109
It can give you a negative image 42
It can give the school (MCHS) a bad reputation 13
Others 23

Table 1.9
Distribution of Responses of Survey Question Number 10:
What is the greatest benefit a person can have from swearing/cursing?
Medical 14
Emotional 318
Psychological 9
Social 1
No benefits 56
Others 2

Table 2.0
Distribution of Responses of Survey Question Number 11:
As stated in the MCHS Student Handbook (2014 Edition), "A Catholic Student of MCHS is
always a "REFINED LADY." How do you define being a "RFINED LADY"?
Someone who reflects good education and polite manners 270
Someone who acts according to the rules and expectations of teachers 37

68
 Someone who should be soft-spoken and submissive to others 10
Someone who is very elegant and well-cultured 72
Others 14

Table 2.1
Distribution of Responses of Survey Question Number 12:
What are your thoughts about being a "refined lady"?
It is necessary to follow the expectations of the school to act in a 133
manner that is "lady-like."
I believe in this ideal, but not how it is defined by the school. 176
It is not important to follow such decorum because being unique and 42
being natural are more significant.
I do not care. 37
Others 14

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 Survey on the Prevalence of Profanity among Miriam College High School Students

To examine the trend of profanity in Miriam College High School, a survey was
conducted to 400 students from the said institution, with 100 students randomly chosen per
grade level. This was carried out on the 11th of December in the year 2014.

A questionnaire was distributed online to the students, who were pre-selected through
the RANDBETWEEN function Microsoft Excel, and they were given two weeks to completely
accomplish this. The questionnaire was divided into four subtopics, namely several aspects of
profanity: existence of the problem among the students of the institution, nature of profanity
utilized by MCHS students, views and opinions of MCHS towards obscenities, and school rules
regarding refinement.

After collecting and consolidating the data, the survey showed the following realities.
97.25% of the overall number of the respondents or 389 students stated that they have uttered
profanities, while only 2.75% or 11 participants did not use obscene language. As there are
various ways of swearing, the researchers took that into consideration by asking the
respondents their manner of cursing. As a result, 35% of the respondents verbally curse, 33%
do this mentally, 19% post vulgar words online, 10% write these words down, and 3% have
other methods of swearing. Upon asking them to list down as many expletives as they can, a
total of 3226 words were listed down, and upon segregation 440 different types of curse words
from 11 languages were enumerated by the respondents. “Shit,” the most frequently cited word,
was written down 253 times, which makes up 7.84% of the list of bad words. Taking into
account the frequency of an individual‟s usage of maledictions upon experience various extreme
emotions such as excitement, annoyance, anger, and stress, there was an increasing as one
went up each level (with Level 1 being never and 5 being always). The 4th level had the highest
average of 33% for all emotions followed by the 5th level, which had an average of 29%. Upon
being asked why they cursed, 79% of the respondents explained that they used this to express
their emotions freely, while 11% claimed that they consider all options (i.e. to be part of the
trend, to express emotions freely, to rebel, to show authority) as the reason why they swore.
79.5% stated that its emotional benefit is the greatest benefit one can get from swearing, while
14% believed that it had no benefits at all. Contrary to this, 109 participants or 27.25% identified
that swearing turning into a habit is its greatest disadvantage, followed by the fact that it offends
other people with 20%. Moving on to the school rules and regulations, the participants‟ thoughts

70
on being a refined lady was asked, and 44% believe in this ideal but not on how it is being
defined by the school, while 33% think that it is necessary to follow the expectations of the
school by acting lady-like. Lastly, the students‟ definition of a “refined lady” was taken into
account, and 67% believe that it is someone who reflects good education and polite manners,
while 18% saw her as someone who is very elegant and well-cultured.

In conclusion, the data confirmed that profanity is indeed widespread among the
students of MCHS, as they view this as a means of expressing themselves freely. However,
they believe that this could eventually develop into a habit. As this is prevalent in the institution,
the school was not able to fully implement its ideals of being a refined lady, and there is a
contradiction in the definition of the school and of the students of this ideal, hence, bringing
about the need to correct the swearing tendencies of the students and to improve the
implementation and instillment of the values of the school.

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December 18, 2014

Ms. Imelda Li. Areola

Christian Life Teacher
Department of Social Sciences

Dear Ms. Areola,

Greetings! We are students from the Program of Excellence in English 12 and in partial
fulfillment of our requirements in this class, we would like to request for an interview with you
on the utilization of profanity amongst MCHS students. We would like to know your opinions
and views about the aforementioned topic, especially considering your background and
occupation.

Our study mainly revolves around the factors that contribute to the inclination of students to use
obscene language, the effects of the usage of these words and expressions on them and to other
people, the advantages and disadvantages of expressing one’s emotions through profanity, and
the role of the school in alleviating this matter. We would also like to discuss the implications of
profanity on the students and the rules and regulations, as well as the implementation of the
sanctions given for these offenses that are to be strongly enforced on the pupils of the MCHS
institution regarding profanity and censorship. We would be very interested in hearing your stand
on the various issues related to the employment of obscenities.

We would like to know if you are willing to participate in an interview and when you are
available. Knowing your point of view, insights and suggestions would greatly aid us in our
paper. Thank you for your cooperation and consideration.

Respectfully, Noted by:

Pamela Marie C. Pascua Graziela Ayn Louise V. Delfin Ms. Lagunzad

POEE 12 Student POEE 12 Student POEE 12 Teacher

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Interview Questions

1. What is profanity?
2. What is the view of the Catholic Church on profanity?
3. When does one cross the border between exercising his/her right to freedom of
expression and using foul language?
4. Considering that the Miriam College High School is a Catholic institution, should there
be a heavier penalty for students who curse or swear?
5. What should be the necessary actions to counter/support profanity?

For scheduling matters and other inquiries, you may contact the interviewees at:
● (0915)312-4086
● pamelamariepascua@rocketmail.com
● (0906)315-5719
● graziela_delfin@yahoo.com

73
Report of an Interview

“Thinking first before acting.”

Graziela Delfin, Pamela Pascua

1 A. The trend of Miriam College High School students utilizing profanity as part of their
2 daily speech poses as a problem, as this not only goes against the school rules
3 prohibiting the usage of obscene language, but this also reflects their character,
4 upbringing, and personality.
5 B. Ms. Imelda Li. Areola is a Christian Life teacher in Miriam College High School. She
6 shares with us her thoughts, opinions, and insights on the prevalence of profanity
7 among the students of the said institution from the perspective of religion.

8 What is profanity?
9 C. Profanity is any offensive language or gesture that shows disrespect for others.

10 How does the MCHS community view profanity?

11 D. Actually, MCHS is of course against profanity and in the student handbook, there is
12 an infraction there which is obscene and offensive language, which covers
13 profanity. Although I think that maybe it should be more explicit because profanity
14 can be cursing or cussing, so maybe it should be more explicit that it‟s not only
15 obscene language, but cursing is considered also as profanity. So since it‟s
16 offensive, it‟s considered as an infraction if a student uses profane language.

17 When does one cross the border between exercising his/her right to freedom of
18 expression and using foul language?
19 E. Okay, freedom of expression, everyone is free to express herself but she must
20 make sure that she also respects other people, because each person deserves to
21 be respected. Each person deserves to be respected because each one is created
22 in the image and likeness of God so each person has an inherent dignity that must
23 be respected so even the way you talk to a person should acknowledge their dignity
24 and should show that respect.

25 Should there be a heavier penalty for students who curse or swear?

26 F. Actually, I studied the student handbook. I think the sanctions for profanity are okay,
27 but maybe what can be improved is the implementation, like to make sure that…

74
28 First, it must be explained to the students, maybe when the student handbook is
29 explained to the students during homeroom. It should be explicitly explained to the
30 students that you saying profane and abusive language is not good for the students.
31 The reason must be explained to them because it shows disrespect for other people
32 and besides, it also shows that you lack respect for yourself also, because if you
33 hear someone express herself in profane language, you would not also think well of
34 that person using profane language. So it should be explained well to them and
35 maybe in CL, when, for example, in Grade 9, when they discuss the Ten
36 Commandments or even in Grade 12 when they discuss morality, it should also be
37 explained well because it‟s against the 2nd Commandment, “Thou shall not take the
38 name of the Lord thy God in vain.” So it‟s a part of an offense against the 2nd
39 commandment using profane language.

40 What should be the school’s necessary actions to counter profanity?

41 G. That is a good idea, because normally, the students acquire the habit of cursing...
42 we know that students learn first at home, so if they hear at home that people are
43 using profane language, then maybe she would acquire that habit and she would
44 bring that habit to school, so there should be a collaboration between home and
45 school in educating the students in expressing themselves properly.

75
Report of an Interview

“THINK TWICE WHEN USING WORDS LIKE THAT”

Graziela Delfin, Pamela Pascua

1 A. The trend of Miriam College High School students utilizing profanity as part of their
2 daily speech poses as a problem, as this not only goes against the school rules
3 prohibiting the usage of obscene language, but this also reflects their character,
4 upbringing, and personality.
5 B. Mrs. Irene Z. Arrieta is the Grade 12 guidance counselor of Miriam College High
6 School. She shares with us her thoughts, opinions, and insights on the prevalence
7 of profanity among the students of the said institution

8 What is profanity?
9 C. I think it means, umm, the use of obscene or offensive words, so it doesn‟t have to
10 be a curse, ang alam ko ah (based on what I know), basta (as long as it‟s) offensive
11 to other people. Ayun (There), that‟s the requirement.

12 How does the MCHS community view profanity?

13 D. As with other norms, siyempre (of course) it‟s highly discouraged, but it‟s very
14 subjective nowadays because the youth would use it as a form of expression, then
15 for adults, for others, it is profanity. Siguro, medyo naiiba na lang (Maybe, there is
16 some difference with) how it is used or how the manner, that it was used, yung
17 pinaka words (the words themselves).
18 E. What I think is the main reason? Siguro (Maybe), they just are used to that. Maybe
19 it‟s also a form of escape for them, thus, they would not fully express themselves na
20 mahaba yung mga statements na gagawin (in long statements that will be made) to
21 sum it up. Isang word lang na may (Just one word that has an) impact.

22 Does it reflect the character of the students?

23 F. Well, oo naman, siyempre, (yes, of course) it does, lalo na (especially since) it‟s a
24 main reflection of how someone is, yung environment kung saan siya ni-raise (her
25 environment wherein she was raised), because to some it‟s an everyday word but
26 to others, it becomes offensive, so nagiging mirror siya (it becomes a mirror) not
27 only of the person, but also the people he/she grew up with.

When does one cross the border between exercising his/her right to freedom of

76
28 expression and using foul language?
29 G. Siguro (Maybe) we have to look into the motive. Kung baga (Thus), even if the
30 person would say this word pero wala naman siyang pinapatamaang iba (but if this
31 is not directed to anyone), expression niya lang (just her expression), hindi siya
32 nakaka-offend (she is not being offensive). Pero (But) like I said, even if the word is
33 harmless, but the motive is to give hurt or to hurt other people, nagiging profanity
34 siya kasi nagiging offensive yung words (it turns into profanity because the words
35 become offensive).
36
Should profanity be tolerated in the institution?
37 H. Siyempre hindi diba (Definitely not), even if sabihin nating fad siya (we say that it‟s
38 a fad), it‟s an “in” thing, it doesn‟t make it right, kahit madami yung gumagamit sa
39 mga words (even if a lot of people use these words), everyday words - diba you
40 know those words naman (you know what those words are) - kahit sabihin nating
41 madaming gumagamit sa words na „yon (even if we say that a lot of people use
42 those words) it doesn‟t mean that it becomes right already.
43
What should be the school’s necessary actions to counter profanity?
44 I. Siguro (I guess) old-fashioned pa rin yung suggestion ko (my suggestion is still old-
45 fashioned), kasi nasa (because it‟s in the) practice or nasa (in the) upbringing. Kung
46 bata pa lang, kunwari, kinder pa lang (If he/she is still a child, if she/he is still in
47 kinder) or even before they go to school, nalilimit (it is limited), or hindi nasasanay
48 yung bata sa pagrinig sa mga ganoong words (the child would not get used to
49 hearing those kinds of words). Siya mismo maiilang sa paggamit sa mga words na
50 ganoon (The child him/herself would feel uncomfortable in using those kinds of
51 words).
52 J. Siguro makakatulong yung mga programs (Maybe the programs will help), but the
53 focus should be more on its effect on other people, kasi diba (because) if you think
54 that you would be hurting other people with those words, then maybe you would
55 think twice when using words like that, pero kung nagiging sanay na yung mga tao
56 sa paggamit sa mga words na yun, nawawala na yung sense niya, hindi naman
57 lahat ganun, mayroon pa ring mangilan-ngilan diyan na masasaktan pa rin kung sa
58 kanya sinabi „yun (but if people get used to using words like that, they lose their
59 sense, but not everyone is like that. There are still some who get hurt when those
60 words are said to him/her). So for example, there are some incidents wherein,

77
61 parang (it‟s like an) expression, parang “Ganyan naman eh, hindi mo naman
62 ginagawa trabaho mo.” (“It is always like that. You do not do your job.”) For her, it‟s
63 just part of the language na ginagamit niya (that he/she uses) every day, pero yung
64 kausap pala niya medyo sensitive sa ganun kasi hindi niya usually, o hindi siya
65 usually napapagsalitaan nang ganoon, so magkakaroon ng grounds for
66 misunderstandings, miscommunication na puwedeng maglead up sa mas hindi
67 magandang bagay (but the person he/she is talking to is actually sensitive because
68 he/she is not usually spoken to like that, so there could be grounds for
69 misunderstandings, miscommunication that could lead to something not good).
70 K. Well, here in our school, we integrate that to the subjects, especially in CL, hindi
71 ba? (right?) Kaya nga mayroong mga values na binibigay, tinuturo, maliit pa lang
72 yung mga estudyante para (That is why there are values given, taught, even when
73 the students are small so that) indirectly you would think what comes out from your
74 mouth, and siguro (maybe), for us teachers, we can set an example na dapat hindi
75 siya naririnig sa amin, diba? (that these should not be heard from us, right?) Para
76 kahit, kung baga, (So that in some way,) we lead by example. Kahit walang
77 programs, kung nakikita ng mga students na yung teachers mismo nila hindi
78 nagsasalita ng mga profanities, hindi rin sila masasanay na naririnig yun. (Even if
79 there are no programs, if the students see that teachers themselves do not say
80 profanities, they would not get used to hearing those words as well).
81

78
Report of an Interview

“LANGUAGE IS VERY TRICKY”

Graziela Delfin, Pamela Pascua

1 A. The trend of Miriam College High School students utilizing profanity as part of their
2 daily speech poses as a problem, as this not only goes against the school rules
3 prohibiting the usage of obscene language, but this also reflects their character,
4 upbringing, and personality.
5 B. Mrs. Sofia De Guzman, an alumna of Miriam College High School (MCHS), is the
6 Grade Level Coordinator for the twelfth (12th) grade and plays an important role in
7 observing the rules and regulations of the institution, and in maintaining the
8 mission and vision of the academic community. Having her views and opinions
9 regarding profanity gives the researchers significant points to consider since she
10 has monitored the behavior and decorum of MCHS students. Her participation in
11 this academic paper has assisted the proponents in identifying solutions to
12 address the problem.

13 What is profanity?
14 C. Well, profanity is always in the handbook. It is always connected to the use of
15 language. So, when you say profane use of language, it is when a person
16 expresses him/her emotions in a way that is offensive to those who hear whatever
17 language was used. So, profane use of language would include using bad words -
18 cursing. You get so angry that you do not focus your emotions but you attack the
19 person so you abuse the language to hurt the person you are talking to or maybe
20 just a simple way of expressing yourself by using a bad word all of a sudden.
21 Instead of the language being used as a mode to express your emotion, it
22 becomes a mode to affect the sensibilities of the people around you.

23 How does the MCHS community view profanity?

24 D. Well, in the handbook, it is unacceptable because as student of MC you have
25 been formed to be able to express how you feel in a way that you will not sound
26 offensive to whomever. Plus, you‟ve always been trained to put everything in
27 context so when you talk to somebody you have to make sure that the people you
28 are talking to will understand where you‟re coming from. So, the choice of words -

79
29 English or not - that has been instilled with you already since you were in grade
30 school by trying to justify your words by saying the lack of right expression and
31 that is not acceptable. So, meaning when you are angry or emotional, you have
32 been trained to appropriately express that and of course the profane use of
33 language is something we consider as disrespectful.

34 Do you think that this is a prevalent problem here in MCHS?

35 E. Well, when you say prevalent in terms of the number of infractions given to a
36 particular student - no. When you compare that to the use of cellphone, that is
37 more prevalent. Leaving the I.D. behind is more prevalent. Unable to send a letter
38 once a student was absent is more prevalent. So, I would not consider profanity as
39 something even common. I‟m not sure because maybe students are able to have
40 control over whatever language they will use when the teacher or G.L.C. is
41 around. So, apart from that, I would not know anymore.

42 When does one cross the border between exercising his/her right to freedom of
43 expression and using foul language?
44 F. For every freedom comes responsibility and when you become offensive then that
45 is something else. So, you are only free in as much as you are not stepping on
46 someone else‟s toes. So, that includes hurting other people‟s emotions. So, you
47 can be critical but you don‟t have to do something offensive. When you are angry,
48 say with a friend, you don‟t attack your friend but you attack the action. What did
49 your friend do that upset you? You talk about the situation and not the person.
50 G. In the profane use of language, there is an intention to hurt somebody. When you
51 say “P.I. mo,” there‟s an attack to the mother of the person. It has got nothing to do
52 with whatever situation. When you say the B.S. word, what does that mean? It‟s
53 open to a lot of misinterpretations. So, it becomes profane. It becomes offensive
54 because the people won‟t understand why you are saying those words. It doesn‟t
55 even solve the problem. Does it make you feel better? Of course not, because
56 definitely there is no one in the world that would feel better when they realized
57 later that they have hurt someone else‟s feelings. Maybe, temporarily they feel
58 better for being able to express it at the minute they did that but after that, when
59 they become rational, they would say sorry after that.

60 Why were there changes in the handbook with regards to the punishment of using

80
61 obscene language?
62 H. In changing handbooks, we don‟t change that in the spot. It goes through a lot of
63 process. Maybe, in terms of categorizing how serious it is, the people in the group
64 realized it‟s not as bad compared to the other infractions that would merit
65 dismissal.
66 I. Plus, the fact that it is not common and it is not prevalent, it could not be
67 considered as serious as the others like stealing. We have come to realize, in the
68 context of restorative justice, that cases would merit dismissal as sanction if: 1)
69 they affect the entire community; 2) they put the security of the students at risk and
70 in terms of reputation. Since there are not many cases, I have not had a serious
71 case on the use of profane language. The worst sanction that I gave was an
72 infraction. Maybe that was the reason it is not as serious or not as common. It is
73 not a problem in our school.
74 J. Although, we have realized it has more prevalent online compared to within the
75 campus. But, there is a different side to that when you say online. The use of
76 profane language online has been categorized not under the use of profane
77 language but under online behavior and school reputation. I guess that part of the
78 yearbook speaks about using profane language in the campus. So, you say a bad
79 word online, then that is not the case filed against you it‟s more of immoral acts or
80 misbehavior online. If you noticed in the past handbooks, there are not much
81 cases specifying online behavior unlike now. So, the category probably changed
82 but in terms of the sanction, it‟s still the same only that part maybe talked about
83 using profane language that you actually hear because it is different when you do
84 it online. The focus is on the medium that was used to express the language and
85 we know that the internet reaches more people unlike a person says a bad word
86 along the corridor and the student says a bad word online. It cannot be the same.

87 Regarding students who curse online, in what way are they “punished”?
88 K. It depends. They are given an infraction. Number one (1), we have to prove the
89 identity of the person because anybody can simply say that is not me but once we
90 have proven the identity of the person, we do not simply give an infraction they
91 actually face a disciplinary case.

100 Should the school put more action into the topic?
101 L. I guess, I will not separate it with online behavior; it is just a part of that. I think you

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102 went through the module of the digital footprint. That‟s part of it. But, say they are
103 going through a separate module - the use of language online - I think it‟s going to
104 be too specific. „Cause people may react negatively by saying “Pati words namin
105 gusto na i-control. (Even our words are wanted to be controlled.) Why can‟t we
106 be? This is a free country. Etc.” So, it will be subdue under the category of
107 exhibiting proper behavior online.

108 What should be the school’s necessary actions to counter profanity?

109 M. Definitely, we have to counter it, right? The homeroom modules, I will consider that
110 as one of the initiatives.
111 N. The second, when it comes to formation, it has to be a stronger formation of the
112 individual because when you say something that reflects your personality. If all of
113 a sudden you blurt out a bad word, then that means despite your personality it
114 becomes unconscious. It has become a part of your system already. So, maybe
115 what we need to strengthen is a part where you become responsible of whatever
116 you will say anywhere. So, it‟s more of strengthening the values of courtesy, of
117 respect, that these are non-negotiable when it comes to expressing what you feel.
118 Because even journalists cannot really say that the president or those involved in
119 the pork barrel are pigs, right? So, they have to provide evidence. What students
120 may not realize at this point is that you have been formed to think that way. Critical
121 thinking is integrated in your English program from first year to fourth year. You
122 cannot merely say that in this poem the persona felt a particular way you have to
123 cite the lines. In the same way as providing evidence. You cannot merely say that
124 the government is S-H-I-T. You have to explain, right? Or in your academic
125 research paper, the sources - the parenthetical citations - we always look for that
126 because that is part of developing your critical thinking. The bottom line is you do
127 not win an argument by cursing. You do not win anything at all by using profane
128 language. In the same way as we have taught you about logical fallacy, it is an
129 illogical fallacy when you say something is S-H-I-T. That‟s hasty generalization or
130 dicto simpliciter, right? So, that is the point but I guess students may not go as far
131 as thinking of it that way. They just say, “But, ma‟am, I just wanted to express how
132 I felt at that time and it was that.”
133 O. So that is just your goal - to express it. The reason why we train you to be better
134 students is that you should think beyond what you can see. You don‟t just merely

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135 have to express it. You have to think about going beyond that. Express and then,
136 what? If everyone becomes very expressive, then nothing is going to happen in
137 the world. Somebody needs to take action. I‟m expressing it and then this but you
138 need to justify that. You know, language is very tricky because some people think
139 that they own it that they use it in any way they like - especially, when it comes to
140 expressing how they feel. If it were acceptable even in the early times, I guess you
141 would see that in the books of Shakespeare. Even in the current period, right?
142 Harry Potter, not even that, so it‟s not as important. If you are able to use the right
143 words, maybe when you say, “Miss, wala na hindi na ako makaisip ng salita
144 napamura na lang ako.” Then, hindi yun ang problema. Ang problema mo wala ka
145 sa vocabulary. Aralin mo. I-enhance mo ang lenggwahe mo para hindi puro yun na
146 lang ang sinasabi mo. Kaya lang ang mga tao madaling mag-judge. Kapag
147 napamura ka isa lang ang iisipin nila - bastos ka. „Yun ang kailangan matatak sa
148 mga tao na kapag nagmura ka ang iisipin nila bastos ka. (If you are able to use the
149 right words, maybe when you say, “Miss, I cannot think of words, I just cursed.”
150 Then, that is not the problem. The problem is that you lack in your vocabulary.
151 Study it.
152 P. Enhance the language for you to avoid saying those words. There are people who
153 easily judge. When you cursed, they will only think of one thing - you are rude.
154 That is the thing that people should instill in their minds that if you curse, you are
155 disrespectful.) It becomes profane because it is open to a lot of interpretations.
156 Pwede namang sabihin na “Miss, hindi naman po iyon ang ibig sabihin ko nagalit
157 lang po ako kaya ko naman po „yun nasabi. Nainis po ako sa teacher ko kaya ko
158 po „yun nasabi.” Kaya lang sa tingin mo sa nakarinig noon, iisipin ba nila „yun?
159 Iintindihin ka ba nila? “Ah, siguro kagabi napuyat siya or may pinagdadaanan
160 siyang problema. Siguro brokenhearted siya.” Hindi, „di ba? It becomes profane
161 kasi nga may naapektuhan. May nabastusan tsaka nag-reflect siya sa personality
162 mo. Lahat naman tayo all of our personalities represent our school, „di ba? Some
163 people think yung mga celebrities lang may nirerepresent. Hindi, tayo rin. (You
164 can say that “Miss, that is not what I meant. I was just angry that is why I said it.
165 I‟m annoyed with my teacher that is why I used it.” However, do you think that
166 people who hear it will think of that? Will they understand you? “Ah, maybe she
167 didn‟t get enough sleep last night or she is going through a lot of problems. Maybe,
168 she is brokenhearted.” No, right? It becomes profane because there are those who

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169 get affected by it. There are people who got offended and it reflected through your
170 personality. All of our personalities represent our school, right? Some people think
171 that only celebrities have something to represent. No, we too represent
172 something.) We represent our school.
173 Q. The reputation is very very important with how you say things even yung pag galit
174 ka. Ang magandang sabihin is “Tingnan mo galit na galit na siya may poise pa rin
175 siya.” Di ba nga kapag sabi nila galit „pag tahimik mas nakakatakot „yun kaysa sa
176 taong nagmumura? (The good thing to say is “Look at her, she‟s very angry but
177 she remains poised.” Isn‟t it true that people who use silent treatment when they
178 are angry are more terrifying compared to those who use expletives?) And you
179 see that not only in MC but the use of language is also discussed in the news
180 when a driver curses a policeman. Ibig sabihin, hindi siya talaga acceptable. (It
181 means, it is not really acceptable.) The school is always a reflection of the real
182 world. So, hindi tayo gumagawa ng bagong rules dito. (So, we are not making new
183 rules here.) We reflect what happens outside. So, when you go outside you are
184 prepared.

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Report of an Interview

“R STANDS FOR RESPECT.”

Graziela Delfin, Pamela Pascua

1 A. The trend of Miriam College High School students utilizing profanity as part of their
2 daily speech poses as a problem, as this not only goes against the school rules
3 prohibiting the usage of obscene language, but this also reflects their character,
4 upbringing, and personality.
5 B. Dr. Edizon A. Fermin is the principal of Miriam College High School and holds a
6 degree in Linguistics. He shares with us his insights and beliefs on the issue of
7 profanity among the students of the institution.

8 What is profanity?
9 C. Oh, I would like to operationalize the definition of profanity as words and actions
10 meant to counter what is morally acceptable and appropriate, and at the same time,
11 ruin the very fiber of, you know, wellness in humanity because you know you don‟t
12 deserve it and you really don‟t deserve it.

13 How does the MCHS community view profanity?

14 D. Let‟s contextualize that. As a Catholic education institution, we know how to look at
15 it as a manifestation of something deeper. Let‟s say, it must be your upbringing. It
16 must be your neighbor. It must be your seatmate. God, I hope it‟s not your teacher.
17 It must be the vendor or you know… and there are various shades less profane
18 than the others and you cannot compare them as one and the same, but essentially
19 they are treated as related because they violate value orientation which is, of
20 course, twofold, integrity and truth.

21 When does one cross the border between exercising his/her right to freedom of
22 expression and using foul language?
23 E. Oh gosh, that‟s a tough question. Even the Pope, I think, cannot answer. No, I‟m
24 just kidding. How do you distinguish? How do you cross the line? Wait ha. First, did
25 you say freedom of speech? Freedom of expression, in the natural state of things,
26 anyone at any given time for any reason can say anything to achieve something,
27 hopefully, but that something can also be subjected to a form of contention or a
28 question, but what could really distinguish that two is the deliberate effort to hurt

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29 because sometimes out of an appropriation of the rule of freedom of speech, you
30 want to say it because you really think that it‟s for the common good that you
31 address it once and for all, whereas profanity really is a deliberate attempt to ruin or
32 to, let‟s say you use it jokingly. The adage jokes are half-meant. That‟s really true,
33 you know, even if you did not intend to just say it out of what, for the sake of just
34 saying it, nakasakit ka na (you hurt someone already) and that thinking expression
35 damage has been done, nakasakit ka na (you hurt someone already). I think is the
36 one measured for the distinction.

37 Should there be a heavier penalty for students who curse or swear?

38 F. I want to believe that it has to be really treated in terms of its context. Sometimes
39 you use it jokingly, as I said. Of course you don‟t cuss because there‟s a joke but
40 let‟s say you said it. You have to look at two things: what aggravated it or what
41 mitigated it. When I say – this is what happens when I decide on behavioral cases –
42 I want to see what aggravated the circumstance, what pushed the student. If they
43 were in a joking context, okay, perhaps I could rethink the possible maximal
44 penalty. On the other hand, if it was really unintentional, but sometimes it‟s difficult
45 to establish that, when do you really reach the point of intentionality? Then you look
46 for mitigating criteria or circumstances. So I would say there‟s no hard and fast rule
47 that you must apply to the one who committed profanity.

48 What should be the school’s necessary actions to counter profanity?

49 G. You know it‟s very simple. There‟s much reason why there‟s the letter “r” in the word
50 “friend.” “R” there, when you remove it, yields the word „fiend.” A fiend is evil, right?
51 R stands for respect. If you really respect the person, then you‟re a friend to that
52 person, you would avoid all possibilities of saying words that when used
53 synthetically or taken out of context can really hurt. So always remember that.
54 That‟s why we learn the basic stuff through respect. Respect in terms of the words
55 you convey to a person, the actions that you commit as a result of relating with a
56 person. Anything that violates the respect part is profanity by itself, and I guess
57 when things get complicated, one form of profanity can lead to violence. Curse,
58 cuss, and the next thing you know is that you‟re hurting the person.

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Report of an Interview

“FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION MUST BE EXERCISED WITH RESPECT FOR OTHERS”

Graziela Delfin, Pamela Pascua

1 A. The trend of Miriam College High School students utilizing profanity as part of their
2 daily speech poses as a problem, as this not only goes against the school rules
3 prohibiting the usage of obscene language, but this also reflects their character,
4 upbringing, and personality.
5 B. As a representative of the Church, Rev. Fr. (MAJ) Harley B. Flores, has shared his
6 views about profanity due to the fact that the aforementioned topic has a connection
7 with morals and ethics. His opinion about it will be greatly beneficial to the academic
8 paper especially because Miriam College High School (MCHS) upholds values and
9 principles that are in line with the Catholic Faith. Also, the fact that a huge
10 population of MCHS students has the same faith, the researchers would like to take
11 the opportunity of asking questions that would come from an authority of the
12 Church.

13 What is profanity?
14 C. Profanity is the use of offensive language/word. This can be done by cursing others
15 and uttering vulgarities.

16 How does the Church view profanity?

17 D. Anything offensive is against basic ethics. Besides, to curse or swear false

18 language like wishing somebody to die is a sin.

19 When does one cross the border between exercising his/her right to freedom of
20 expression and using foul language?
21 E. The basic intention of any law is for the common good. Freedom of expression must
22 be exercise with respect for others.

23 Considering that Miriam College High School (MCHS) is a Catholic institution,

24 should there be a heavy punishment to those who curse?
25 F. Justice must be applied equally to all regardless of religion, culture and differences.

26 What should be the school’s necessary actions to counter profanity?

27

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28 G. To counter any form of profanity, I recommend the following:

29 a. Use non-violent communication.

30 b. Exercise basic ethics at all times.
31 c. Strengthen one‟s faith.
32 d. Respect for others in necessary.
33 e. “Good words are like a sweet honey to the soul”

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Report of an Interview

“THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY….”

Graziela Delfin, Pamela Pascua

1 A. The trend of Miriam College High School students utilizing profanity as part of their
2 daily speech poses as a problem, as this not only goes against the school rules
3 prohibiting the usage of obscene language, but this also reflects their character,
4 upbringing, and personality.
5 B. Mrs. Nancy Roman, the Assistant Principal for Student Affairs, has been playing an
6 important role in maintaining the mission and vision of Miriam College High School
7 (MCHS) as she continues to monitor the behavior of students. Her views about
8 profanity will be beneficial to the researchers‟ academic paper for she is aware of
9 the behavior and decorum MCHS students has been lately displaying.

10 What is profanity?
11 C. Well, Profanity is the use of obscene languages, curse words, cussing words, and
12 etc., which affects of the sensibilities of others.

13 How does the MCHS community view profanity?

14 D. Of course, it is unacceptable. That‟s not how an MCHS student should be. We
15 respect others. We respect ourselves, and therefore, we must also respect others –
16 regardless of background

17 When does one cross the border between exercising his/her right to freedom of
18 expression and using foul language?
19 E. For me, you can express your emotions without the use of abusive language. You
20 can always say, “I‟m angry. I‟m so mad.” You can cry. You can shout. But, you don‟t
21 have to say… Let‟s say for example “You blah blah blah.” For me, that‟s where they
22 cross the line, especially, if it‟s in social media. Some people they just use words
23 parang expression lang. Parang “Oh, f--!” Why? Do you really want your mouths to
24 be associated with those words? I mean you can use other words. You are bright
25 students. You can use a lot of other words to express yourselves without crossing
26 the line.

27 In our survey being conducted in the MCHS, we found out that ninety-eight

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28 percent (98%) of MCHS students actually curse. With this in mind, should there
29 be a heavier penalty to those who curse since there are only a few recorded
30 cases?
31 F. But they were able to control themselves when they are in front of teachers.
32 Sometimes, I hear, ”Uy, ---“ and when I turn around, “I‟m sorry. I‟m sorry.” They start
33 apologizing. So, what‟s in it? Do they just do it because it‟s cool? They think it‟s
34 cool? Or they just want to be one of those people who say it? „Cause I really think
35 they can control themselves if they want to.

36 What would result to the change of penalties in accordance with profanity, as seen
37 from the transition of the 2013 edition to the 2014 edition?
38 G. In fairness, there was a mistake in the first time; it shouldn‟t have really reached
39 dismissal. It depends, of course, on the gravity of the situation because sometimes
40 the use of profanity is associated with bullying. So, the heavier sanction should
41 apply to bullying not the profanity.

42 What could MCHS do to lessen the number of students using curse words?
43 H. First and foremost, I think that should be a collaboration with parents „cause there
44 are households that use words – left and right – that is like a norm in their houses.
45 Unfortunately, there are households who are like that. One, I think there should be
46 collaboration between the home and the school to strengthen the value system
47 regarding the news of profanity. Second, we can have more modules. We can
48 remind our students. I‟m guessing we could also process a lot of what‟s heard or
49 seen in media because our movies are full of those, even cartoon movies are full of
50 those. So, there are a lot of things going against the pipe – so to speak. We can
51 only do so much but ask those people. I‟m sure they know it‟s wrong. That‟s why I
52 said, ninety-eight percent (98%)? But they were able to control themselves when
53 they are in front of teachers. Sometimes, I hear, “Uy, ---,“ and when I turn around,
54 “I‟m sorry. I‟m sorry.” They start apologizing. So, what‟s in it? Do they just do it
55 because it‟s cool? They think it‟s cool? Or they just want to be one of those people
56 who say it? Because I really think they can control themselves if they want to.

57 We also asked when MCHS students frequently curse and most of them answered
58 that they use expletives when they are angry. What is your say on that?
59 I. There has to be a better way in controlling their anger „cause it might lead to road

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60 rage in some point. Maybe, we can come up with modules that can help them
61 control their anger or have other forms of relieving themselves from the stress and
62 the anger. Because even in happiness, I just remember this story last Saturday with
63 one of the Glee Club members when the ACET results came out. It was really a
64 long wait for her, her face was sullen already because it was almost one o‟clock
65 (1:00) and she still doesn‟t know if whether she passed or not. So, talagang malapit
66 na umiyak. Talagang nakikita ko na malapit na umiyak nag-woworry na nga ako e.
67 (So, she was close to tears. I can really see her that she‟s close to tears and I got
68 worried about her already.) And then all of a sudden, her face lit up and ngumingiti
69 na siya.(And then all of a sudden, her face lit up and she‟s already smiling.) And I
70 said, “Well?” Then she said, “I made it!” So, she‟s just so happy. Then ang sabi
71 niya, “Miss, can I step outside for a while? I just need to shout.” Sabi ko, “Sige.”
72 (Then she said, “Miss, can I step outside for a while? I just need to shout. I told her,
73 “You may.”) Then she shouted, “Yaaaay!” O, pwede naman yung ganun a. (That
74 can do.) Even for anger, the way I do it with my daughter before when she was a
75 little younger, I told her that if you‟re angry – you‟re angry at me, you‟re angry at
76 your cousin – okay, punch the pillow. You know, it‟s just a way of releasing the
77 emotion and I never taught her to curse. You can shout, okay, go shout but no use
78 of profanity.

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Report of an Interview

“THINKING FIRST BEFORE ACTING”

Graziela Delfin, Pamela Pascua

1 A. The trend of Miriam College High School students utilizing profanity as part of their
2 daily speech poses as a problem, as this not only goes against the school rules
3 prohibiting the usage of obscene language, but this also reflects their character,
4 upbringing, and personality.
5 B. Mr. Jaime L. Villafuerte IV is a Christian Life teacher in Miriam College High School.
6 He shares with us his thoughts, opinions, and insights on the prevalence of
7 profanity among the students of the said institution from the perspective of religion.

8 What is profanity?
9 C. I think it Profanity has something to do with being disrespectful through the way of
10 speech or language (e.g. Being obscene, being blasphemous, or cursing).

11 How does the MCHS community view profanity?

12 D. The school wants every Miriam student to develop the values described by our
13 founder, Mother Mary Joseph. There are 11 and one of these is Gracious Courtesy.
14 A person has Gracious Courtesy if the person recognizes Christ‟s presence in every
15 one. I think if a student (even a teacher) sees the presence of God in others, then
16 this student (teacher) will give due respect to others in gesture or speech. Thus,
17 profanity is counter-cultural (an obstacle) to what the Miriam Community wants to
18 be.
19 E. The Church also discourages profanity most especially in the use of name of God. It
20 is actually considered a sin. It is against the 2nd Commandment (irreverent use of
21 God‟s name). It could be a sin of blasphemy (speaking ill of God) or cursing (using
22 God‟s name to speak ill of someone, eg. God damn you…).
23 F. Even the use of foul language against another person or as a fad is also wrong it
24 affects the sensibilities of others and may hurt relationships. Saint Paul has a
25 reminder for us Christians in regard to this…read Philippians 4:8.

26 When does one cross the border between exercising his/her right to freedom of
27 expression and using foul language?
28 G. We all have freedom but our freedom is finite (limited) since we are finite beings.

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29 But finite does not mean minuscule. Freedom is vast but still has boundaries. These
30 boundaries are laws. Boundaries are actually good because it gives people a guide
31 on how to use meaningfully and maturely their freedom.
32 H. When does one cross the border? In the MCHS Student handbook, it is stated there
33 that MCHS delights in responsible freedom… found in page 7. I think one crosses
34 that border when one irresponsibly uses words or gestures that offend a person or
35 the general public. I think exercising prudence is necessary in this regard. Thinking
36 first before acting. It is mentally time-travelling to the future and seeing the effect of
37 what you will say or do. I think some people simply say words un-thoughtfully. This
38 is the reason why they end up hurting others‟ sensibilities. Other people have a right
39 also to be in an environment where they feel loved and respected.

40 Should there be a heavier penalty for students who curse or swear?

41 I. I think what is currently in the handbook (against respect) is acceptable and just. I
42 don‟t think we need to revise anything there.

43 What should be the school’s necessary actions to counter profanity?

44 J. But, I do think that the school should be pro-active regarding this. Pro-active is to do
45 something to prevent an unpleasant event from taking place. What the school
46 should do is to have a systematic and developmental approach in the Homeroom
47 program. Systematic – there is regularity of administering homeroom modules and
48 there is a training for homeroom teachers. Developmental – each grade level has
49 specific needs and the homeroom program should address this. For example… the
50 Module on Courtesy in Grade 9 should have a different approach in Grade 12 since
51 Grade 12 students are in a different milieu. It should not be the same module for all.
52 K. I believe that teachers should be trained how to conduct themselves properly also.
53 Students also learn through the examples they see from adults.

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Report of a Social Experiment

Five
Graziela Delfin, Pamela Pascua

As the researchers prepared the materials in the social experiment in the covered court of
MCHS during lunchtime, wherein four boxes contained a stuffed toy, game tokens, clay with ice, and
a cup full of jelly and ice, ten random participants engaged in this activity and five of them uttered
coarse words. They wore a blindfold while placing their hands in the boxes trying to guess the
identity of the object. They whisper their guesses to one of the researchers. They have to know the
item in the box before they can proceed. Two students remained composed during the experiment
proper while the other three shrieked as they participate. “Shit,” “putang ina,” “fuck,” “oh my god,”
and “gago” were mentioned by five students, as they particularly dip their hands in the cup filled with
jelly and ice, and as they touched the toy. The words students utter give an implication on the
frequently used expletives people utilize. The five aforementioned words assert that these
terminologies are the first thing that approaches into their minds in occurrences with uncertainty to
be able to declare the raging amount of stress they are undergoing. This action signifies that in times
of stress and anxiety, most of them resort to obscenities to release the tension. This also shows how
profanity is an emotional outlet for them to automatically utilize. With this, considering that 5 out of
10 students said expletives cater to the assumption that most members of the MCHS community
tolerate the obscene language as they use coarse terms to suffice their expression of feelings.

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Focus Group Discussion Report

“TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE”

Graziela Delfin, Pamela Pascua

1 A. The trend of Miriam College High School students utilizing profanity as part of
2 their daily speech poses as a problem, as this not only goes against the school
3 rules prohibiting the usage of obscene language, but this also reflects their
4 character, upbringing, and personality.
5 B. The Lingkod Kapwa Club has been hand in hand with the Miriam College High
6 School institution in maintaining and implementing the school rules as to promote
7 discipline among the students. The members of the aforementioned club were
8 invited to share their thoughts, ideas and suggestions regarding profanity since
9 they interact more with the student body on a daily basis. Considering the fact
10 that the club‟s objective is to sustain the school‟s ideals by monitoring the
11 students‟ behavior, their views about the topic were indeed beneficial to the
12 researchers‟ academic paper.

13 What is profanity?
14 LKap Member 3: Profanity is the use of bad words.
15 LKap Member 2: Profanity is the use of words considered bad by society but they
16 are not necessarily bad in terms of their actual definitions.
17 LKap Member 1: Profanity is when you say words to abuse other people and can
18 offend others.
19 LKap Member 4: Profanity is something that offends other people.

20 Are you aware of the rules of MCHS against profanity? Do you follow them?
21 LKap member 3: We know the rules but we don‟t really implement them since a lot of
22 people in the community speak bad words. It has been hard to control everyone. It‟s
23 going to be hard to control everyone if all of them are speaking bad words.
24 LKap member 2: We really can‟t control them because it may be a language they
25 grow up with. Malay mo, it‟s something they got from outside sources tapos na-
26 influence lang sila and then nasanay. (You may not know it‟s something they got
27 from outside sources and got influenced by them and then got used to it.)

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28 Do you think profanity is a problem in MCHS that needs to be solved?
29 LKap member 2: No.
30 LKap member 3:Maybe it depends on the setting. Maybe, in class, if there are
31 teachers, school administrators, then it‟s not appropriate - not to say that profanity is
32 appropriate - but then it is something that we‟ve grown used to. So, forbidding
33 people to curse would be taking them out of their comfort zone or changing a lot
34 about themselves and the way that they speak. It‟s not very realistic to completely
35 eliminate that fact, you just limit it.
36 LKap member 2: If it is a problem, you cannot really solve it with a concrete solution
37 because you have to take into account that people have different backgrounds, and
38 their backgrounds will always affect how they are. And, if bad language is part of
39 how they grow up and they got used to it, then if you‟re going to correct that you‟re
40 going to change a huge part of their lives and it‟s going to take a lot.
41 LKap member 4: In the real world, you can‟t really avoid it like in movies you can‟t
42 really see it coming all the time. You can‟t really avoid it when real-life situation
43 happens and when you‟re outside of school. So, inside of school, yes, there are
44 times that you have to be respectful and professional to your teachers and stuff but it
45 is something that you can‟t really avoid.
46 LKap member 5: Maybe, it shouldn‟t be a habit of students when they speak bad
47 words.

48 Do you consider profanity a manner of negatively affecting an individual’s rights

49 as it is offensive when directed to a person?
50 LKap member 2: When I hear students saying bad words, they were not really
51 directed at another person but if ever they do say a bad word they usually say it as a
52 joke. But, it‟s not really something to mean that serious.
53 LKap member 1: So, in a group of friends, when they use bad words to communicate
54 they don‟t mean it as something offensive. They use it as a joke without meaning to
55 offend someone.

56 When does one cross the border between freedom of expression and usage of
57 profanity?
58 LKap member 3: It‟s not a very big deal like, now, everybody curses. So, people
59 don‟t think of it as a big deal but then what‟s important is that you‟re mindful of where

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60 you are, and who you are with, and how cursing in a certain situation will affect you
61 and the people around you like if you know that you‟re in front of the teacher and you
62 cursed, you‟re going to have to pay for it - by getting an infraction. But, when you are
63 with your friends and you know that they don‟t care, that‟s a form of expression of
64 what you‟re feeling.
65 LKap member 2: As long as the people around you are aware that you don‟t mean it
66 towards them and as long as you‟re not actually using it to offend another person,
67 then I don‟t think that there is a problem but if other people are offended of hearing
68 bad words then they should confront people about that because other people are not
69 aware of how they feel about it because when they are with their friends they are
70 very comfortable about it.

71 As the LKap, how can you minimize profanity?

72 LKap member 1: By spreading awareness with the fact that when some people say
73 those words, it affects others, because right, in our community, we see it as non-
74 offensive words. That‟s why we say it, so we‟re not aware that we‟re actually hurting
75 someone. So I think that informing the crowd that it hurts someone would lessen it.
76 LKap member 3: We have to start early because you said, we don‟t think of it as
77 bad, since it‟s a habit already, so we really have to address that. Give people non-
78 offensive words to use when they feel angry or something, so that they don‟t use bad
79 words.

80 If a program wherein we’re going to invite speakers in making students aware of

81 how profanity gives a negative impact on other people will be held, will you
82 support it?
83 LKap member 2: We‟d support it, I just don‟t know if the whole school, like the actual
84 student body, will actually like go with it, like they‟ll actually take into consideration
85 what‟s happening.

86 If a seminar for the whole school, per batch, will be conducted so that you would
87 know how curse words developed and workshop is made available where a
88 student can volunteer, would you support that?
89 LKap member 1: I think that it‟s good that it‟s voluntary, „cause if you impose it, the
90 more that people would say bad words, just to, you know, take it out on the school,

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91 „cause for them, that‟s their way of expression.
92 LKap member 2: I just think that your problem is convincing the people to go to the
93 seminar kasi (because) it‟s voluntary, which is a good thing, like they won‟t feel
94 forced and they won‟t rebel, but then your problem is actually, will they be willing to
95 go to those kinds of things? „Cause you know how MC students are, they can be
96 really lazy, especially if they don‟t like it.
97 So, as the LKap, will you be willing to give infractions, if ever, to people who
98 curse?
99 LKap member 2: So you want us to give infractions to everyone?
100 LKap member 1: To make a difference, we do have to start somewhere. So yes, we
101 will.
102 LKap member 2: I think your problem is that you have to define what bad words are
103 because to some people, some people think that stupid is a bad word, but then to a
104 majority, it isn‟t. So you have to draw the line of what a bad word is.
105 LKap member 1: And also, you have to really let them know what the words actually
106 mean because a lot of people start saying it without knowing what it really means
107 and how it‟s offensive because of its meaning.
108 LKap member 4: Oh last year, our English teacher allowed us to write curse words in
109 our journals, and she didn‟t want us to like direct those curse words at other people.
110 She just wanted us to express ourselves without other people hearing it. So there‟s a
111 proper place, a proper time to do it and you just have to know.
112 LKap member 2: Maybe you can have like a place where they can curse to get it out
113 of their system. You can have a curse room, and you can like draw on the walls!
114 LKap member 4: You know sa library when it‟s too cold outside and it‟s humid inside,
115 people write on the windows. One time, I saw one person right “F U” then another
116 person walked by and wrote an “N” at the end, so it spelled “fun.”

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