Of all the articles we have read so far, the topic of
bullying is something we can more readily interact with. American students are
no strangers to bullying, in all its forms. However, it may come as a surprise
to Americans regarding how serious of an issue bullying is in Japan. Bullying
in Japan cannot be seen as a problem, it is wholly a crisis.
The article begins by recounting that national bullying
cases skyrocketed 31% from last year leaving the new total at 543,933 students. It is hard to interpret this statistic as
anything other than dismal, but that is exactly how the Japanese government
chose to view it. Stating that it demonstrates, “result of its efforts to get
school officials and teachers to actively identity bullying cases.”
The article then goes to state a nebulous term titled,
“grave situations”, when a bullying encounter turns more “serious”. While efforts
have been placed to making sure these are stopped, it seems to only exacerbate
the issue. For context, cases of “grave situations” increased to 602, up 128
from the previous year.
When “grave situations” occur, schools and administrative
boards are required by law to serve as a “probe” and report findings to the
bullying victims and their family. There seems to be a clear trepidation from
authorities to get involved in bullying. The most common reasons include fear
of association, a priority to silence the issue rather than solve, or simply,
lack of attention. Even in the verbiage of the law, there is clear lack of
intervention. The law states that the only requirement is to report any
findings, not necessarily tackle said issues.
This fear-driven “hands off” approach can be seen in its
extremes through a case cited in the article. A 15-year old boy in Kawaguchi
complained of being bullied by several students and tried killing himself three
times—the last attempt of which left him temporarily wheelchair-bound. Later,
the boy did take his own life. This entire situation happened in the presence
of a law-bound “probe”. Through personal anecdote and objective numbers, the
probe system clearly is ineffective. And for such a salient issue, it comes as
a shock when the climate surrounding bullying has remained generally unchanged.
I currently live in a host family with two children, a
teenage boy and adolescent girl. The latter is an absolute firecracker. Filled
with joyful energy, undeniable charm, and courageous independence, she is
seemingly a parents’ dream. However, when speaking to our mother, she voiced
her concerns—the fear of her daughter getting bullied. She explained, that
bullying occurs to those who “stand out”. There is comfort in a group, and when
someone deviates from that—through looks, personality, and interests—that comfort
is disrupted. We often talk about the value
of Japanese homogeneity such as preservation of culture and a strong countrywide
ethos. However, this issue points to another side of this group mentality.
For there to be a rising sun, there must also exist a
wistful night.
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