crime

Boy's suicide over bullying sparks death threats at Shiga school

71 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2012 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

71 Comments
Login to comment

that school is absolutely disgusting. the school denies, the teachers joked.......

23 ( +25 / -3 )

My daughter has yet to be bullied here but if the day comes and it is brought to my attention, I promise it will be stopped immediately with a stern confrontation.

17 ( +17 / -0 )

I can sympathize with this person's frustration.

15 ( +16 / -2 )

Sorry, but these stupid teachers, stupid bullies, and their stupid parents and useless PTA, and useless Shiga police deserve all the hate that they themselves are responsible for, no excuse for this kind of idiotic bullying, making other students PRACTICE how to suicide, etc..RIP young dead student

11 ( +14 / -4 )

Such a sad story. Kids should never have to take their own lives...

I think it all comes down to communication in all parties involved. My son was bullied when he was 5 at his new daycare. He told me about it and I confronted the daycare. They promised to scold the kids but that's all most Japanese do - all talk no action. When he came home with a bruise (and the teachers didn't tell me), I lost it. Not only did I raise hell the next morning at daycare, I took a picture of it and went straight to cityhall to demand action. I didn't think they'd do anything but they sent someone to the daycare that afternoon.

I guess depending on the age of the child, they might not wanna discuss bullying. But I think if you have an open and healthy line of communication, as a parent, you will notice if something is wrong with your child.

I don't think bullying will ever stop in Japan. In Japan, it's usually never the bullies fault. Who knows how many times I've heard that the one being bullied is getting bullied for a reason so it's his/her fault. Makes me sick.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

There's a definite possibility that the boy didn't commit suicide but was in fact murdered.

10 ( +15 / -5 )

I love it, "Apologize or I'll bomb your school!" It sure would have lead to introspection from me, but I don't know if these brats will be quaking in their boots. They would if I had my way, though.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

The bully being bullied ... poetic justice.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Bullying is rarely obvious. When it is, responsible people intervene. Sometimes it ends, sometimes not.

Kids are clever. They learn where the line is and how to get close to it without crossing it.

Most bullying is subtle. Kids (junior and senior high) use tactics that are seemingly innocent: code words, inside jokes, exclusion, feigned friendships, and so on.

Listen to your kid if they say they're being picked on. Get involved. Tell people. Tell more people. Follow up on it.

Listen to your kid's teacher if he or she says your child is being a bully. Believe the teacher on this issue. Maybe your child is innocent but there was enough going on that your child's teacher did contact you.

Sad this stuff happens.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

If they had been loved and guided as they deserved they probably wouldn't have become bullies.

I have to disagree there. Yes they were sweet little kids but bad people are everywhere. Kids are not all innocence.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Can't wait to see how this plays out. That boy deserves Justice. By not disclosing all the facts they bully that kid even in death.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

When I look at Japanese police, I think lazy and uncaring stooges in a system so broken it rivals third world status.

6 ( +11 / -5 )

What a surprise! The blame gets passed around like a hot potato and everybody just denies, denies, denies.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

i'm glad they are getting threatened! the poor kid was sick of it, $#@$#$ i feel so helpless! i juts wanna grab those who bully and make them realize that they are hurting people! but those bullies become bullies because of the parents...insecure people that wanna make themselves feel better by belittling others (-_- #) RIP those who ran out of options. you can rest now

6 ( +8 / -2 )

The BOE in typical J-style chooses to ignore the problem and deny responsibility. In doing so they delude themselves that bullying isn't a real problem... To accept responsibility would in a way admit to failure in handling the problem. I can imagine that admitting to failure scares the whole BOE so much, they choose to ignore and deny a problem exists...

Whoever sent the threats I say 'good for you'. It's about time someone stood up to the incompetence that is rife throughout all Japanese government agencies and associations. This country needs people with balls to stand up to the stubborn, outdated and useless old men who control so much. They have had it all their own selfish way for far too long...

6 ( +6 / -0 )

@rickyvee

i wonder if the kid who was bullied would have eventually committed suicide anyways.

Are you the same now as you were at the age of 13, 18, 21? (I assume you are older; I could be wrong)

The average kid in their low teens doesn't always have the confidence to deal with other people and their malicious BS.

You seem to be suggesting he was too weak to deserve the chance to be protected by adults so that he could grow up and learn ho to cope.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I hope the responsible teacher is terminated. Too much bullying in JP schools and teachers just brush it off as jokes or kids play. The school administrators and teacher should be sued in court by the parents. The students responsible for bullying should be kicked out of school.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Very controversial... obviously if the boys publicly apologize it could possibly lead to them being abused, threats to their family, etc. Unfortunately it is probably the best time for the authorities to really make a push to stop bullying, using this incident as an example. The teacher should also be made an example of, urging other teachers (and all school staff) to use their brains/common sense and report anything they feel is necessary to report! Very sad for the young victims family (and friends) who obviously need some closure. I truly hope the authorities find the balls to do something about the 'reason' there are bomb threats and not only the bomb threats themselves.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Well after reading all the comments, listening to the news clips, I detect a lot of negligence from the ALL the staff at the BOE. They never really gave a rats ass about the bullying, the bullies and even the boy in question. This is all out of control and now that they are faced with someone retaliating for this boys death, NOW they are worried and stressed. This is so pathetic! What comes around, goes around. One day these bullies will have children of their own and God forbid if their children are bullied and forced to take their own life. Also, what about the boy who commited suicides' parents? What about them? Why didn't they intervene? If this were my child, I would have noticed it from the first occurrence and this would have not escalated to this outcome. Japanese parenting sucks and not to mention the education system, that swallows.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

This not isolated to Japan, as we all know, but in this case the school was clearly negligent. That the teacher ignored it is a scandal - and I'm sure it wasn't just one teacher that knew about it. That also means that the administration and management of the school is negligent because they aren't instilling in the staff the importance of identifying, monitoring and properly managing bullying. I think these kids are criminally responsible for his death, and need to face a children's court. Becuase it sounds as though Japan needs to take bullying in schools far more seriously. The kids, their parents, the schools and the legal system.

4 ( +7 / -4 )

rickyveeJul. 11, 2012 - 10:50AM JST

i wonder if the kid who was bullied would have eventually committed suicide anyways. he makes it through junior high school and then gets bullied in high school, or uni or at work. would he have had the mental fortitude to survive in this brutish world? this world is full of bullies and you are either able to cope with it or your not.

True, but it's like tripping an falling down stairs vs someone pushing you down them. Just because the kid was likely to be another statistic (30k a year and raising) doesn't mean they had to make things worse. Who knows, perhaps the kid would have gone onto college and found a place for himself, we really won't know now.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

It is kind of exciting when, in a totally helpless situation, (I mean the kids already dead, everyone is denying and covering for the bullier, covering for that godawful ex-cop parent of the bullier, covering for the teachers, the BOE) anonymous bomb threats get made, and suddenly the weak hiding bullies can hide no more, and things have to be taken more seriously.

However, I really hope that no innocent lives of average workers at the BOE or the school (or other kids) are taken, or anyone injured.

This problem needs to come out in the open and ppl need to take responsibility. But innocent ppl shouldn't bear the brunt.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

rickyvee-

It is useless to wonder things like that. Especially aloud, and on a forum like this where someone died and the ppl who abused the kid did really terrible terrible things. I personally find it in bad taste.

But furthermore, it is st you can never know. In my yrs of living and the trials and tribulations I have gone thru, and gone thru w/others, I have seen that different ppl have different tolerances for different things. It is the same with the physical body. Most ppl will build up a tolerance to alcohol w/regular drinking, and get tipsy easily if not. Yet within that even, there are those who get the tolerance right away, and others who take more time. But then there are those esp in Japan who just get drunk on one glass of wine, and will never get tolerance bc they lack an enzyme. Some will just die if they have any alcohol.

W/depression, suicide, etec, I believe it to be the same. Some ppl can withstand isolation for a long time, some even crave it, others who would be healthy and strong in society otherwise, can get severe depression and suicide from very limited isolation. And so on for any other stress or fear that is individual to you. This kid could've been an olympic athlete or climbed to the top of the physics field, but couldn't handle the bullying you may perhaps feel you could endure.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

My Japanese coworkers said it is a case of kowaiso and shoganai.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

The boy leapt to his death in October from an apartment building in Otsu, which has one of the world’s highest suicide rates.

This part of the article appears to imply that the apartment building in Otsu has one of the WORLD'S highest suicide rates. Kind of hard to believe. If that's true, then I wouldn't want to live in that apartment building.

I agree with warallthetime. If that was my daughter (the victim) I would definitely put pressure on the school and the BOE. If they don't do anything, then I'll handle it my way, coming from a PR background.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

This is going to be a race to see who can blame somebody else the quickest and the most convincingly. Finally, one person will be found responsible (who really wasn't) and that person will kill themselves, and then everybody in Japan can rest smugly knowing that they took care of business.

Then everything will be as it was before, and kids will still bully other kids for the same reasons, and the pathetic and timid teachers,administrators, and government idiots will look the other way for the same reasons.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

The bullies and teachers involved should be paraded and forced to apologize, etc, etc. in public- short of being tarred and feathered. A medieval punishment does fit the crime here.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

My hearts goes out to the boys parents. Rest in peace and may your next life be a more fortunate one!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Well if the people involved here did happen to get injured by a bomb - the bullies, their parents, the teachers who chose to ignore it..... well I'm sorry but my sympathy is all used up for a dead 13-year old boy and HIS parents, who have tried to get justice only to get stonewalled until the media got involved.

Kaboom! There goes your house up in smoke. Whoops, there goes a brick through your window. Boo hoo, now people are pointing at you in the street and shunning you. Doesn't feel so good when the shoe's on the other foot, does it?

Sorry, as I said, my sympathy's all used up.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@Ms. Alexander.

My son was bullied when he was 5 at his new daycare. He told me about it and I confronted the daycare.

I agree. And most of all, it's all about family looking after each other.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Extreme worst case example, thus inviting extreme reactions. By no means tolerable, but understandable provided the threats are mere nonsense. Extremity of magnitude of cruelty exhibited in this case which has led to nationwide outrage should hopefully help strengthen more meaningful efforts and measures for prevention to be implemented at a national, all peoples level as it certainly requires the understanding and commitment of everyone within the society to keep a watchful eye on what takes place in the kids world of things, whether it be family members, relatives, neighbors, friends, teachers or anyone who just happens to be nearby. The well being of these kids are dependent upon every one of us.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This suicide, and all the others, are a shame for Japanese society. How can a rich, modern nation, keep her mouth shut in the face of a 13-years-old boy taking his own life? A life that didn't have the chance of experiencing what happiness is, could be...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Solve bullying with another form of bullying? Good thinking!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I am not suprised at this turn of events. I myself was not in my right mind after I read the article this young boy and I felt those responsible should pay. The bomb threats could be from at parent whose child attends this school. I know the parents must be questioning their kids about that school. I know I would if I had a child attending that school.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Since everyone from the BOE to the police have been doing their best to sweep this under the rug, I approve of this bomb threat. My outside action continue to escalate until justice is served.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

I am of course hoping that nothing actually happens in terms of bombing the school or going on a rampage, but I DO hope the teachers and those responsible apologize and are fired. This kind of ridiculous 'looking the other way' (and then denying it occurred when someone kills themselves!) is ridiculous and needs to stop.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

If kids can't turn to the teachers, who are meant to be their protectors as well as educators during school hours, then who can they turn to?

I can imagine the lad being told to 'man up' or some other macho bullshit by the (undoubtedly male) teachers, being told by the Head that the school will look bad if he reported the bullying... either that or the teachers were scared of the bullies and let them get on with it.

Does Japan have a Child Line like in the UK? Or would that be seen as not being manly?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

My 2 bob I can't help think that bulling is entrenched in Japanese society I work at a school and I am amaze how the Japanese school systems deals with this problem. Actually they don't. I was not surprised when a 7 year old's parents reported to the school that there child had been attacked again at school and this time instead of the insults they the bullies had left sizable bruises on the boys back. The school said it would ask questions and sort out the bullies. They ask the boy, didn't want to say anything in fear of making his situation worse. Eventually he broke and gave up the boys. Then was promptly told that he was a liar and that he probably fell over to get the bruises as all of the bruises on his back. I rang a school counselor in Australia who said only way she knows for a kid to get bruises on their back is by someone hitting them. Then she gave me suggestions on how to make it stop. Which i was able to pass onto the parents. This poor little boy had some learning issues and couldn't speak properly but wasn't dumb. the situation is better now but not because of the school. I don't know how these so call educators sleep at night.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@ Samantha - I totally agree that bullying is a systematic mental and physical torture. I know first hand that the Japanese teachers and parents think it's the one being bullied's fault. The daughter of an acquaintance of mine was bullied at first grade and her mother blamed her daughter for giving "her friends" a reason to bully her! WTH?! That's whay I put on my last paragraph of my original post that bullying will never end.

The mother of the kid who hurt my son is a piece of work herself. The daycare and now the school teachers just listen to her cuz she's a typical psycho mom ("my son would never do such a thing" or "well, my son doesn't do it on purpose. he's just strong."). And because she's a piece of work, like you said, no one wants to rock the boat.

In the end, though it's really sad, it's about how the Japanese think as a whole. Until the society realizes that bullying is real, it's not gonna stop. For now, Shiga is probably gonna do something just because it's getting quite the media attention. They're not gonna really address the bullying issue. They're just gonna do whatever to get the cameras away. Japanese just keep missing the point...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

RIP I hope criminal charges are laid; a precedent should a set (legally) and if it takes illegal action to bring about a legal precedent. Ask a cop when the last time they laid hands on an unruly drunk; I have heard from police, and observed, that it doesn't happen because one incident involving the death of a drunk in police custody where charges were laid against police set a legal precedent leading to a policy of not physically interacting with intoxicated people. If one teacher and a couple of administrators recieve legal punishment, the typical knee jerk reaction may be to make these schools a very dangerous place for bully's - going home to real consequences after being booted out of school and having criminal charges and the inherent disgrace would be enough to scare these little idiots straight. But not kicking them out or charging them only reinforces the idea that 'safe' to torment others, even to their death. Charge them all and name the adults publicly.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Parents need to be aware of their kids and what is happening at school. Notice if their behavior changes, they become too quiet, etc.

As for bullying, the best thing you can do is this: tell your child that, the next time it happens, they should just walk up to the ringleader of the bullies and punch them in the face as hard asthey can. Then keep punching/kicking until they get pulled off. End of problem. At worst, others will think your kid is a nutter. Better that than a target, though. The key is teaching your child to NOT be a passive victim, instead tell them that they have your support if they choose to solve the problem on their own.

Parents getting too involved can often make the problem worse. "Oh, you have to get your MOMMY to help you?" will be the next day's taunt from the bullies. Nah, better a quick fight over recess than this.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

These bullies were once sweet little kids. If they had been loved and guided as they deserved they probably wouldn't have become bullies.

0 ( +10 / -10 )

Obviously any educational institution in Japan or elsewhere has problems with administration, policies, procedures and a whole lot of government intervention with rules and regulations. However the problem with harassment and abuse is not primarily an institutional issue as much as a social issue.

The key is in "upbringing" by parents who as far as we know "claim" to have the rights and privileges of determining his/her children's upbringing and education. A child's character and disposition is determined as far as we can tell by his/her parents.

Sadly too many parents "expect" that the schools are "responsible" for their children's upbringing, character, disposition and academic progress, since they either were granted by the government in public schools or paid for in private schools. So they "blame" the schools, institutions and the government for lack of oversight. These threats do not make sense...

Children technically spend about 1/3 of their days in school. The other 2/3 of the day is "determined" by parents, either sending them to "juku" or to sports, and the like and at home, eating, sleeping and generally spending time away from school. So parents cannot "expect" others to stop these problems. It all starts with home.

One side to this is that the parents were not close enough to their child to support him and to prevent suicide. If there were abuse and harassment, they could have moved the child if the school did not take appropriate action. Or they may not have cared enough or known about it at all to take appropriate action.

The question is why parents are NOT on top of it?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

leaving anonymous bomb threats is just bullying too is it not?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

But this is Japanese Culture. You wouldn't want to change Japanese Culture would you?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Love and peace, people. Love and peace. Threatening violence is not the way to go, but yes, action needs to be taken. These kids are our future and we don't need them to be taking their own lives. Everyone out there, pay attention and watch these kids...see how they are acting. Signs of distress are there. Pay attention, please and get help for these youngsters. Thank you.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The boy leapt to his death in October from an apartment building in Otsu, which has one of the world’s highest suicide rates.

What on earth does this mean? Otsu? the apartment buiding? or does it mean Japan for the highest suicide rates?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The boy leapt to his death in October from an apartment building in Otsu, which has one of the world’s highest suicide rates.

What on earth does this mean? Otsu? the apartment buiding? or does it mean Japan for the highest suicide rates?

Maybe Otsu itself.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Listen to your kid if they say they're being picked on

Unfortunately, it is very rare for kids who are being bullied to talk about with it anyone. There`s a kind of shame in admitting that this is happening to you and this exacerbates the feeling of helplessness. I speak from experience. Kids like this need some kind of safe environment to discuss their problems with either an expert in these matters or maybe some of kind of council of contemporaries at school.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Everyone will be happy to know that the police raided the school yesterday, and are rumoured to be looking at the possibility of bringing charges of professional negligence resulting in death against the teachers involved.

Let's hope the charges are laid - even if they get off with a suspended sentence, this would send a wake-up call to teachers in other schools that this sort of activity will not be tolerated in this day and age.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@ fds - wow, that's pretty cruel. Don't know if you have kids but if you do, I wonder if you'll be saying the same thing if your child starts getting bullied.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This is despicable, and there can be zero tolerance for all involved in this cruel behavior.

Adults in charge who don't act to help are complicit.

This poor soul, how he must have suffered...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Will charges be laid against the parents of the bullies? If anyone needs to be blames, it is them for raising little beasts.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

According to reports 700 parents attended a conference mtg held by the school today. What is heartbreaking is that the father of the deceased boy stood up and apologized for the disturbance. The first parent to raise his hand during the QA session criticized the school for not even considering to suggest a moment of silence to pray for the boy during the conference, to which everyone applauded. Good to know the majority of the parents at the school are taking this very seriously. As extremely cruel and tragic this case was, should hopefully serve as a major wakeup call for Japan, the schools, the parents and the kids themselves

0 ( +0 / -0 )

there is a rumor that the school has been took over by foreigners. anyways its too weird. the educational committee has to reveal everything.

You mean because some of the students are studying the Korean language and have some kind of cultural interchange program with a junior high school in South Korea? Yes, someone`s thinking is too weird.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If it comes to people retaliating against the system so that their unfortunate tragedy be heard, then so be it!! Diplomatic measures on bullying has been ignored for far too long by those we trust the most, and it is time for drastic changes!! I don't subscribe to the idea of bombing and hurting innocent people and bystanders, however, the nation is up in arms about this and someone will take full advantage of the hype. Government officials and local municipalities in Shiga better get off their butts and resolve this like...yesterday!! Anticiapte rather than react is what I say... RIP young man and my most sincerest condolences to the family and friends!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I feel for the boy too, but I am not going to cheer the idiot who thought it was in their right to threaten the school with a bomb. This happens very often in Japan. Once a villain is exposed to the public, they are crucified on the net and starts receiving threats from a nobody. People have a right to be angry at this school no doubt, but bomb threats are absolutely unnecessary.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Making a bomb threat is not "bullying". Making a bomb threat is "terrorism". Do NOT confuse the terms.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The boy leapt to his death in October from an apartment building in Otsu, which has one of the world’s highest suicide rates.

I am with cechanju here. If mods or editors could clear up what exactly is the data they are referring to...? Which has the world class suicide rate?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@Mrs Alexander. Good for you! I am glad that something was done. However, the mop doesn't always flop that way with every case. My son, along with a few others was being bullied and whilst the 1st grade teacher was on it, in second grade the whole situation was allowed to rear it's ugly head again. Second grade teacher seemed to think that if you were being bullied it was your own fault. In fact, she actually helped the bully concerned by pairing him up with my son in a swimming class one day and my son had his head held under the water until he nearly passed out. My son didn't tell me, another Mum heard about it, incidentally from her son who was terrified of this kid. I stormed in to the school and if my hubby hadn't been with me that teacher would have been in hospital. She knew the history from Grade one. She chose to ignore it. We moved schools. Countries in fact. Talk, talk and no action. There were other kids at that school were quite violent acts were going on, parents were going in and complaining, getting the 'Hai, hai. Wakarimashita' and then being fobbed off. Other parents do no want to rock the boat. What happened to this poor boy wasn't just bullying. It was systematic mental and physical torture. Children can be cruel but then there are kids who have mental problems to go out and treat someone like that on purpose. The parents should be held accountable and anyone else who didn't help that poor lad. I've had to deal with a son who through bullying, wanted to kill himself, went off his food, couldn't sleep and was too scared to go through the school gates. It's devastating for a parent to try to comprehend that your child ( a 6 year old) wants to die or expresses they want to die. Dealing with that and trying to enforce some sense of normal into a child's life in that state is a very precarious balance. I cry at the thought of his parents trying to deal with him and officialdom the best they thought in this matter. That poor boy. I was beyond shocked, sickened and saddened when I read what he went through. I am going to go and give my children a huge hug after I have finished writing.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

billyshears

Japan has a taboo of discriminated region known as a Buraku. It also taboo but those residents are mostly composed of Koreans in japan. This bullie's mom is PTA president who involved with a union of release buraku committee has many connection of metropolitan assemblies.

To be honest, I am not sure what is in background of this tragedy, but the police, teachers and this town's people all are too strange.

In addition, a junior high school is still in compulsory education stage. even if a teacher prefer some country, he had to follow ministry of education.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Surveys may not help in this area.

The key is for each parent to forget their "face" and "position" and "titles" and everything else that makes that Japanese parent "proud" and "obstinate" and have a "heart to heart" with each of their children BEFORE going off to BLAMING everyone and everything else. Then they should come up with a solution or solutions for themselves first.

After they work things out at home, they may be able to share their experience in the form of surveys to suggest ways to improve the situation and the problem.

Taking statistics by surveys only helps to give numbers to the existing problem. And for government and school officials to "guess" the solutions based on such numerical statistics may be the biggest mistake for society.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

http://cdn.uploda.cc/img/img6946.jpg

there is a rumor that the school has been took over by foreigners. anyways its too weird. the educational committee has to reveal everything.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

I remembering reading a Japanese novel that involved bullying, being utterly disgusted at the author for over exaggerating the techniques and insults used by Japanese children. Living here, however, has made me realize that Japanese students are some of the most messed up kids in the world. Many of these students grow up completely aware that the issue of suicide is one that especially permeates Japan. In America, I used to hear stories of bullies completely taken by surprise when their victim committed suicide. There's alot of stories of kids unintentional causing psychological harm. Here, it seems bully's make it their purpose to lead a kid to suicide. I read about bullies leaving articles about teen suicides on their victim's desk, constantly harassing them in order to push the victim over the edge. Here, bullies repeatedly make a kid practice killing themselves???? These bullies weren't be taken by surprise and didn't feel any regret when the kid died. It had been their goal all along.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Lots of comments about the BOE, the school, the bullies... where are the comments about the parents? The parents of the bullies AND the parents of the dead boy? Lack of family communication and parenting in all cases.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

you can blame the government, school, teachers, the bullies and their parents but in the end, you can't rely on someone else to solve your problems for you. it will always be too little too late. he should have solved them himself.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Japanese people can be some of the most messed up and unhealthy people in the world.

Exactly. It seems the internet has brought light to some of this, as Japan is now known to many as a country of WTF.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

This isn't a problem with the teachers, or the school officials. This is an issue deep within the core of Japanese society, where there exists a chronic, perverse cruelty. This coupled with Japan's (everyone follow the leader without question) mentality, which has existed since WW2, will continue to lead to suicide unless there's social reform.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

There is something wrong with the Japanese society... there's something pathological about it. Many people believe that they are very "nice" and "polite" but their hidden cruelty is merely driven underground or suppressed by society. You can go to an anonymous online board for proof - most people there act like as if they're psychopaths. It's just plain unhealthy.

Japanese people can be some of the most messed up and unhealthy people in the world.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

i wonder if the kid who was bullied would have eventually committed suicide anyways. he makes it through junior high school and then gets bullied in high school, or uni or at work. would he have had the mental fortitude to survive in this brutish world? this world is full of bullies and you are either able to cope with it or your not.

-10 ( +1 / -11 )

Bullying in Japan can be especially shocking. One of the reasons why Japanese public schools are terrible.

-10 ( +0 / -10 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites