A politician in the Philippines wants 'ghosting' to become an official crime.
'Ghosting' is the act of completely cutting communication with a romantic interest, without any explanation.
Arnolfo Teves Jr, a member of the Nationalist People's Coalition in the Philippines, says 'ghosting is "a form of spite that develops feelings of rejection and neglect".
He says perpetrators should be punished for emotional cruelty.
Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., who earlier proposed renaming NAIA after the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, now files House Bill 611 to declare ‘ghosting’ as an emotional offense. @cnnphilippines pic.twitter.com/KiOoezBdeW
— Xianne Arcangel (@xianneangel) July 26, 2022
Entitled 'An Act Delaring Ghosting As An Emotional Offense' it outline:
"In the age of social media and in today's world, the realsm of dating has changed exponentially compared to previous years. Now, couples primarily communicate using their cellular phones
and in turn, use cellular phones as an avenue for meeting and dating.
"Ghosting - when someone cuts off all forms of communication can be mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting to the "ghosted" person. Studies have shown that social rejection of any kind activates the same pain pathways in the brain as physical pain, meaning there's a biological link between rejection and pain. That goes for friends and partners, alike.
"Ghosting is a form of spite that develops feelings of rejection and neglect. Ghosting has adverse effects on the mental state of the one being ghosted and his or her emotional state is still adversely affected as he or she will be constantly thinking of the welfare or the unexplained reasons of the one who ghosted.
"The ambiguity with ghosting, is that there is no real closure between the parties concerned and as such, it can be likened to a form of emotional cruelty and should be punished as an emotional offense because of the trauma it causes to the "ghosted" party.
SECTION 1
Title. This Act shall be known as "An Act Declaring Ghosting As An
Emotional Offense."
SECTION 2.
Defintion of Terms. For purpose of this act, the following terms are defined:
(a) "Emotional abuse" - acts or omissions causing or likely to cause mental or emotional suffering of the victim such as but not limited to ridicule or humiliation, repeated verbal abuse and mental infidelity and could also be caused by "ghosting" for no apparent justifiable reason bu solely to cause emotional distress to the victim.
(b) "Ghosting" - a form of emotional abuse and happens once a person is engage in a dating relationship with the opposite sex which affects the mental state of the victim."
