Japanese education: Why bullying in Japanese schools is especially traumatic
Japanese education
Why bullying in Japanese schools is especially traumatic
from The Economist
A boy from Fukushima was called “germ boy”, stolen his things, punched & kicked & thrown down the stairs by his new classmates in Yokohama
The boy was told to hand over any compensation his family may have received & gave them ¥1.5m which his family borrowed from their relatives
Bullying is intense in Japan. In 1986 a boy killed himself after months of mock funeral. Suicide is the biggest cause of death for teenagers
In Japan bullying is a group phenomenon & involves a big portion of a class inflicting psychological & physical torment on a single victim
Some say: “A characteristic of Japan is that you should not stand out”; “Pupils have to lead a collective life when they are at school”
School activities are organised in groups. Pupils must adhere to rules about uniforms or hairstyles & should “read the vibes,” kuuki wo yomu
OECD’s PISA test suggests that JP students are smart & diligent but don’t enjoy school much. JP schools are like “dysfunctional communities”
Teachers are not trained to spot bullying. There are few incentives to notice or deal with it. 12% of them have taken part in bullying
Local school boards have neglected the problem & even blamed the boy from Fukushima for handing over his family’s savings voluntarily
An anti-bullying law requires schools to report cases of bullying. (224,450 in 2015.) But they might underestimates the scale of the abuse
The law urges teachers to report bullying. But bullies are rarely punished: in 2014 there were 188,057 reported cases & just 2 suspensions
44% of gay teens were bullied last year. Teachers said the sexuality broke the harmony. 1/3 teachers think homosexuality is a mental illness
JP government said it would review its anti-bullying policies. Policymakers & teachers should recognise too much conformity plays a part
