When we
think of the Japanese education system, we usually imagine tidy classrooms and
students with impeccable discipline. However, the reality inside schools
continues to show a rather complex facet about student coexistence and the way
in which young people perceive violence among their own classmates.
The
Kumamoto Prefectural Board of Education released the results of its annual
survey on students' emotional health and coexistence, conducted between
November and December 2024 to a total of 104,392 students in public elementary,
middle, and special education schools. Although the vast majority of 83.2%
stated that bullying is never acceptable under any circumstances, the remaining
figure set off alarm bells. 15.5% of those surveyed indicated that this type of
aggression can be justified according to the reason, while 1.3% went further by
assuring that it is something acceptable regardless of the reason. In total,
more than 17,000 children and young people showed that they do not consider
these behaviors to be completely wrong.
As for
direct experiences, 8,731 students confessed to having been victims of
aggression or teasing during the school year. Most of the cases were
concentrated at the primary level with 7,367 reports, reaching its highest
point among first and second grade children, where one in four admitted to
having suffered from this problem. In addition, about 30% of the victims
preferred not to tell anyone out of fear or shame. Fortunately, in cases where
children decided to talk to an adult or teacher, more than 80% in primary
school managed to stop the situation or at least reduce its intensity.
The forms
of aggression varied according to the age of the students. In primary grades,
blows and kicks were more frequently recorded, while in secondary education,
insults, mockery and digital harassment through social networks and forums
predominated. Against this backdrop, the education authorities set the goal of
achieving that by 2027 100% of students recognize that school violence is not
justified, reinforcing psychological care and monitoring through the school
tablets that students use daily.
The
phenomenon of bullying or ijime is a widely documented social
problem in Japan that ranges from systematic social exclusion to physical and
cyber aggressions. Schools and boards of education in the various prefectures
carry out regular evaluations to identify cases in time and prevent serious
situations inside the classroom.
