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Bullying suspected in Aomori high school girl's death

26 Comments

The body of a second-year high school girl was discovered in the sea off Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, on July 8, in what police believe may have been a suicide caused by bullying.

TBS reported Thursday that the girl was last seen at school on July 4 but by lunchtime, she was nowhere to be found.

School officials said Wednesday that the girl's parents had told them their daughter left a note in which she said she had been bullied at school for several months. However, teachers said they had not been aware of any bullying.

The board of education said a third party has been called in to conduct a full-scale investigation of the school's bullying situation and how it may have contributed to the young girl's suicide.

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26 Comments
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So very sad to see a young person driven to despair because of bullying. And so enraging that some kids can be this cruel to their own classmates.

One of the best things to teach your kids is to respect the lives of others. Everyone benefits from that.

8 ( +7 / -0 )

So sad to hear things like this. If only one person had noticed, s/he could have told her that everything is going to be ok. I hope they find those bullies and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

And again the Teachers knew nothing? Really?

8 ( +8 / -0 )

It makes me physically I'll when I read these stories. What can we do to get people to notice? I taught in a private high school and I say bullying and I spoke up.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Before it was always one bully picking on everyone, but today a group gangs up on one child. Also, even though most of the students know what is happening none will do anything to try to stop it. I've posted before but a shift in family structure has removed children from the elderly, the traditional authority figures,and fewer siblings means less interpersonal experience for children. As a result, children today are not as well-disciplined and have trouble communicating.

6 ( +5 / -0 )

teachers said they had not been aware of any bullying

They never are...

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Whilst this story is saddening to say the least, to make blanket assumptions about the teachers in situations like this is ridiculous.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Disgusting state of affairs.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

" However, teachers said they had not been aware of any bullying."

BS. They just have zero disciplinary powers and know that confronting the student will just end up with more grief for them (well, unless the kid commits suicide and it's proven they DID know about it) so it's easier to pretend like there's nothing going on. And as is the norm, within a couple of days we'll be hearing about how the girl had approaced the teacher(s) and told them about it, and the teachers will apologize, and the BOE will say, "Something must be done about this!" and nothing will change, etc. etc.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

smith, that's the best case scenario, unfortunately. Worst case is they continue to deny any knowledge of the bullying, meanwhile a survey shows every single kid knew about it.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I hate how powerless I feel to stop this, I just don't understand why they feel the need to pick on another person? What's with the lack of empathy in some people? I've seen and spoken against adults in the work place who've done the same thing.

R.I.P little girl. Japan has lost another bright spark.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Have tears in my eyes reading this. So awful. Nothing ever changes here.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Again, bully country, bully culture, bully adults make bully kids. They're just fitting in to the way things are within their own culture.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

The teachers may very well have not known about it. In Japan, the teachers change classrooms, leaving the kids alone in the classroom between lessons. This leaves prime-time for bullying, with no supervision, and a bunch of kids with nothing to do for a few minutes.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

3 Good Bad

FightingVikingJul. 24, 2014 - 06:32PM JST

teachers said they had not been aware of any bullying

They never are...

In the grade school I went to, Carl Silvestrini, the 8th grade teacher, was the force behind bullying and did not about it but kiss a few of the favorite athlete's asses.

Not only was the teacher a space cadet about bullying, he unwittingly promoted it through his "disciplinary" antics.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Strangerland

The teachers may very well have not known about it. In Japan, the teachers change classrooms, leaving the kids alone in the classroom between lessons.

the teachers change classrooms

They did this in my school in Switzerland too however, they always knew EXACTLY what was going on. I'm sorry but I'm not buying this "excuse"...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I think she shouldn't done like that .There is always another way ...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How's it an excuse? If they didn't know, they didn't know. There is know way of knowing as of now whether or not the teachers knew.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

How many investigation has Japan done for bullying these kids don't seem to get the message which makes me think it is an accepted cultural thing to do in Japan because NOTHING is being done and it continues. The Japanese government should make it a law where as if anyone is proved to be bullied can sue for damages! Once these idiots understand the cost they or their families have to pay maybe they will stop!!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Even if they know about bullying, teachers are not told how to handle this kind of thing. And a lot of the bullies are non-educatable. They just don't think it's bad what they do. The victims are blamed for being a victim. I had great teachers in school and even the best one couldn't helped a friend of mine who was bullied by the whole class. And it goes on in college, work, ... just in a more subtile way. Greetings from Germany.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This makes no sense. As a teacher myself, bullying and its affects and effects can be spotted. I've seen students who were being bullied and notified the administration of the schools I've taught in. Can teachers see it 100% of the time? No, but it can be seen. Its a cop-out on the part of the teachers in this case for them to state that "they had not been aware of any bullying." Either they're willfully blind or incompetent. This is yet another tragedy that could have and should have been stopped. My prayers for this young lady's family and her friends.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Are any young kids who go to school and read about this problem becoming anti-bully bullies?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

School officials said Wednesday that the girl’s parents had told them their daughter left a note in which she said she had been bullied at school for several months. However, teachers said they had not been aware of any bullying.

It is very sad Japan is not setting up a proactive Anti-Bullying policy in society. Bullying is a crime.

If you are seriously interested in this issue, there are some "Anti-Bullying" US policy models you can explore. I have already done that on the JT last year.

The key to success of eliminating the bullying is a social awareness and education that the bullying is a CRIME and if offenders are found, they WILL be prosecuted according to the law. The government has to show the strong stance against the bullies.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

As a parent this does make me very worried for when the day comes that I have to send my daughters to school :/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It'd be great if the trash of society have a taste of their own medicine. I don't care if they have some crappy tragic past that somehow "causes" them to bully others, they deserve to be punished. Don't sue the bully's parents, that will probably have 0 effect on the bully themselves. Have the bully work and suffer for causing another innocent person to suffer. Community service and being expelled sound like extremely nice punishments don't they? Maybe have their email address and such revealed so they can have a taste of cyber bullying. Is this going to far? Nope, it's suitable. If they have a taste of their own medicine, they'll never try to bully someone again. Maybe they'll even try to stop bullying themselves? (No, 'two wrongs don't make a right' BS. If you don't teach them the hard way, it's near impossible for them to change.)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This has to stop! Severe consequences should be handed out to those doing such bowling. From suspension to expulsion or in very bad cases perhaps jail time as needed.

Schools should be a place where students feel safe and go to learn and be educated not to be harassed and bullied by other students.

Until the Ministry of Education comes to grips with their failures nothing will change. The entire education system in Japan is at fault.

Do not misunderstand me, I do not believe in corporal punishment but taking things away like club activities and certain privileges can be an effective deterrent.

I feel that the individuals doing the bullying should be publicly named, so that all can see who the bullies are.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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