national

No. of reported school bullying cases tops 140,000 in April-Sept period

23 Comments

A nationwide survey has revealed that twice as many instances of bullying were reported in Japan's elementary and junior high schools in the six month-period from April to September this year than for the whole of the previous year.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology said Friday that 144,054 cases of bullying at schools were recognized during this period, double the 70,231 total for fiscal 2011, Fuji TV reported.

The ministry ordered the survey in response to the suicide of a bullied boy in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, in October 2011.

However, the ministry added that there was a wide discrepancy between the number of incidents reported in different areas of the country, probably due to differences in how some teachers perceive bullying and deal with warning signs.

According to the survey, Kagoshima Prefecture had the highest number of bullying cases, and Fukuoka the lowest, Sankei reported.

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23 Comments
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This would still be under reported in my opinion. Until there are serious changes in Japanese culture, this problem will never go away.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Sad. And even sader, many Japanese refuse to admit bully exists

1 ( +3 / -2 )

At the risk of many thumbs down, have the incidents of bullying actually increased or has all the recent media attention created a swath of wimpy dobbers that run to the teacher over every little spat?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Until there are serious changes in Japanese culture, this problem will never go away. It never will go away, even if culture or society changes, there will always be bullies in our midst.

Sad. And even sader, many Japanese refuse to admit bully exists

This is one reason why it will never change.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Wow, and that is only the reported cases. The worst ones are typically not reported. I am sad that the Japanese system does not seem able to get a handle on this.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The reason that the number of cases involving bullying is constantly going up is because the schools that are in a japan will not take any responcibility for any bullying that may be taking place in ther schools.

The second reason is because the parents of themselves bullies are not responcible enough to teach their kids right from wrong. Parents in Japan in this day and age are more of a child then their own kids.

This is a fact that has been proven time and time again which is being overlooked all of the time.

Japan must get a grip on what is really going on here and start to implement the right measures to correct this problem as soon as possible. If not, Japan will continue to nose dive into a hole that is deeper than the one that they are already in.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Bullying and related suicides are not unique to Japan. That said, tendency of organized/bureaucratic cover up is. In that regard I find it a good thing that the numbers are rapidly rising.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Bullying is not that hard of a problem to deal with. A few minor changes in the way things are done at school will make a big difference. Now kids have 10 minutes of free time between classes. This is too much time. They one need 2 minutes to get to there next class. The other 8 minutes are wasted time. Kids goof off, punch their friends and sometimes their enemies. Teachers need to be in the hallways and classrooms to prevent kids from misbehaving. Deterrence is the key. If there is a chance of getting caught kids won't do it. There has to be punishment for bullies. Expulsion, Suspension, & detentions. If you coach a sport you need to supervise the kids. Unsupervised kids are a recipe for disaster. These are things teachers in the US have been doing to reduce the number of problems that happen between classes. Kids know there are consequences if they get caught and it is a deterrence for most of them. But bullies are patient. They can wait for the opportunity when a teacher is not around. You can never stop bullying completely but there are many things schools can do to cut down on bullying. I hope Japan makes the changes to reduce the number of bullying cases.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

holy crap thats a lot...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Japan obviously needs to enforce more child-protection and children's rights laws. Otherwise the bullying and the abuse (by the teachers) won't stop.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Here's several ideas on how to decrease bullying. For starters, don't keep children in the same class all day. This group mentality bullsh-t of keeping students in a single class creates tension and problems within the class. Familiarity breeds contempt. Split classes up for each subject, or at least give them an elective subject away from their homeroom class. It's like a pressure cooker. Also, classes sizes are way too big... and how is this even possible with children population decreasing? No classes over 20 would be great, but even not classes over 30 would help a bit. Bukatsu? So now students spend all day with their peers, and then they have to spend after school and weekends with them? This doesn't benefit students at all... it's gotta go. Unfortunately, teachers seem to think it instills "the fighting spirit" of ganbaru and gaman. Absolute bulls-it. Students that don't have good enough marks to maintain a passing grade should be held back, or placed in some sort of catch-up class... perhaps replace bukatsu with school? Because if they didn't know a lesson in 1st grade, hey won't know the more advanced stuff in 2nd and 3rd. This leads to frustration, and giving up, but also to jealous and contempt for smarter students. And vice-versa, smarter kids might bully a under-performing kid as well. Japan's group mentality (brutality?) education method, couple with the lowest percentage of GDP alloted to public education out of any OECD country, coupled with an expensive private school system, and oversized classes that keep students bound to one homeroom for an entire year, plus bukatsu! Holy F^ck! I'm surprised this bullying statistic isn't triple... TLDR version: Education in Japan is Garbage

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Disillusioned - it's a valid concern. I don't think it's the case. In the past, schools were strongly discouraged from reporting bullying. The were indifferent to actual presence of it, however.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Play activities and interactions that occur during them need to be more closely monitered, especialy in regards to the senpai/kohai system. School run sports programs and the attitudes of volunteer sports coaches need to be looked at. Greater classroom use of small group task-based learning needs to occur. Overal the aim should be to foster a culture of mutual respect and cooperation that is authentic rather than coerced.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

PTA is useless & worthless show of shows.

Parent & Teacher conference is useless.... Because the teacher covers & (literally protect the bully) up the bully (ies) & associates.

I've seen scenarios that are so bad. The child has to eat alone or separately eat lunch in an isolated room. Sometimes students will join the victim and eat lunch together in the other room.

I've seen fat girls bullied and made fun of.

Skin kids, mixed kids, ethnically different kids, weak kids and etc.

It's sad. I'm a teacher and I have to deal with this on a regular basis. Usually, I make a forum in my class and talk about this among the students. It's a great way to bond the class.

I get the kids to talk about bullying. I use alot of child psychology and methods to get the kids to help weak kids and befriend them.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

blendover, Iam not a fan of the sempai/kohai mentality. Ithink this is what stems most of the bullying in Junior and Senior High schools. Its no different than becoming a Letterman in American high schools. Once you earn the right to be in this Jock Clique, you had the power to do some pretty mean things to under classmen....and it was considered just an initiation to enter...not bullying, which it reall is.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

i am a parent of a 2 year old girl , and quite concern about the bullying situation.

can i asked, on what factors or grounds, does the group chooses its 'victim'?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology said Friday that 144,054 cases of bullying at schools were recognized during this period, double the 70,231 total for fiscal 2011, Fuji TV reported.

SO WHAT IS THIS MINISTER PLANNING TO DO ABOUT IT. Just to do a survey? THEN WHAT?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@whiskeysour

You must be new or maybe it is because my experience with the PTA is in Fukuoka.

The PTA is the king maker in Japan. The members are both very highly regarded and very well connected in their communities. If there is something going on in the schools or community it will reach the ears, directly or through back channels of the PTA. I pity a teacher, principal or politician who crosses the PTA. The PTA is the ground game in Japanese politics and is not to be trifled with. Generally city councilors come from the PTA or the community association which have very good working relations with the PTA. If a students are having problems and their parents are aware of them and mention it to a close neighbor or complain to somebody it will reach the ears of the PTA. The PTA has the power to have any teacher or principal removed or disciplined and the police will dance to the tune played by the PTA.

I have a long list of things our local PTA has gotten accomplished but will only mention a few here; teachers removed, many bullying cases resolved, principal removed, road signs installed, abandoned cars removed, police patrols increased, park trees cut back, parks maintained, school rooms renovated, city councilor booted out, noisy bikers arrested, game center hours restricted, etc. etc.

A call from the PTA brings action, a call from the council of city PTAs brings immediate action.

If you notice some kids being bullied where you work make a back channel approach to a member of the PTA and ask them to look into it saying that you are worried about the student.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@torosushi

Don't even try to fend of bullying by trying to fit your kid in because you will never keep up. The factors are everything and nothing. Some kids think that they are bullied if they are called XXXX-chan and some kids think that they are bullied if they are NOT called XXXX-chan.

Concentrate on creating a happy home environment and a resilient child. Don't be a "ghost family" in your community. Get to know the other parents in your neighborhood and become involved in as many community activities as possible. Your child is too young for you to do haihinkaishu but that should not stop you from volunteering to help out. Join all of the local festivals and volunteer to cook and clean for them. Be known so that if there is ever a problem you can get action. If your neighbors don't know you and you complain about your child being bullied they will ask "Where were you when they needed help putting on a local festival for the kids?"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@proxy

Sounds a whole lot to me that you have given into, and are accepting, a flawed system. One should not have to be required to "join the local festivals..." to not have your kid bullied. The PTA might have the power, as you say, but to just sit back and say "that's just the way it is here." is not the way to act. As a part of society, you have the right to a safe and educative time in school for your kids.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

jam_sandwich at Nov. 23, 2012 - 09:48PM JST

Here's several ideas on how to decrease bullying. For starters, don't keep children in the same class all day. This group mentality bullsh-t of keeping students in a single class creates tension and problems within the class. Familiarity breeds contempt. Split classes up for each subject, or at least give them an elective subject away from their homeroom class. It's like a pressure cooker. Also, classes sizes are way too big... and how is this even possible with children population decreasing? No classes over 20 would be great, but even not classes over 30 would help a bit. Bukatsu? So now students spend all day with their peers, and then they have to spend after school and weekends with them? This doesn't benefit students at all... it's gotta go. Unfortunately, teachers seem to think it instills "the fighting spirit" of ganbaru and gaman. Absolute bulls-it. Students that don't have good enough marks to maintain a passing grade should be held back, or placed in some sort of catch-up class... perhaps replace bukatsu with school? Because if they didn't know a lesson in 1st grade, hey won't know the more advanced stuff in 2nd and 3rd. This leads to frustration, and giving up, but also to jealous and contempt for smarter students. And vice-versa, smarter kids might bully a under-performing kid as well. Japan's group mentality (brutality?) education method, couple with the lowest percentage of GDP alloted to public education out of any OECD country, coupled with an expensive private school system, and oversized classes that keep students bound to one homeroom for an entire year, plus bukatsu! Holy F^ck! I'm surprised this bullying statistic isn't triple... TLDR version: Education in Japan is Garbage

What he said.

After 10 years of teaching at a junior high school, I couldn't agree more. Well said.

S

0 ( +0 / -0 )

A high school in Appleton, Wisconsin tried an experiment under the enlightened guidance of their principal, LuAnn Coenen. She wanted to see if she could positively affect the fighting, weapons-carrying and general lack of focus and discipline in the school by changing the food the kids ate.

Vending machines were replaced with water coolers; hamburgers and French fries were taken off the menu and replaced with fresh vegetables and fruit, whole grain breads and a salad bar. With the departure of junk food, she also saw the departure of vandalism, litter and the need for police patrolling her hallways. The students were calm, socially engaged and focused on their schoolwork. Problems were minimal. And all Ms. Coenen did was change the menu!

Please watch "Forks Over Knives" for FREE to learn more about the implications of a meat-based diet vs a plant-based diet. Go to http://www.hulu.com/watch/279734 and do yourself and your family a favor!

&

Dr. Antonia Demas conducted a pilot program for youthful offenders at Bay Point School, a controlled residence for select male juvenile delinquents. Incorporating the principles of her curriculum, Demas' results were astounding: Grade point averages increased, athletic performance and strength improved, aggressive behavior declined, acne cleared, excess weight came down, and every single one of the participants reported general improvements in well-being. http://foodstudies.org/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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