Abused children find Japan’s shelters provide little comfort

Start here: Separate the delinquents from the abused and treat each accordingly.

I love this country, but it could benefit a lot by lessons other countries have learned. It seems that all too often things are done here because "this is Japan," instead of because it's the best way to do it.

More evidence of the endemic 'overt & covert' institutionalized bullying culture.

Sounds like an absolute nightmare. For a child to want to return to an abusive home instead of staying in a so-called shelter is rather telling.

Japan’s 136 shelters haven't evolved much in the past 70 years

Shelters aren't the only thing but moving on...

In many of the shelters, workers with little training impose strict rules and schedules, don’t allow cell phones or toys from home, and make isolation a common punishment for misbehaving, the sources said. Stricter shelters don’t allow chatting during meals or even making eye contact with other kids, the people with knowledge of the conditions said.

In other words, they're obviously run like prisons b/c after all victims and criminals both require firm hands. I especially like the "workers with little training." I mean if abused children don't require trained professionals to care for them what exactly are a government's responsibilities.

Defenders of the system say tight discipline is needed as the children come from a wide range of backgrounds and needs, and without firm control chaos would reign.

I imagine these kids' parents had the same idea, thus the abuse.

Reuters was allowed to visit one of the 33 shelters in and around Tokyo. Requests to go to others were turned down on privacy grounds.

Yeah, "privacy" b/c we wouldn't want too much evidence of systemic abuse. Funny how the government always has sufficient funds for its priorities. Something minor like the well-being of the few children still being born in this nation--to be done on a shoestring.

its sad that change is so hard in this wonderful country. everyday life is so hard for normal hardworking people, nobody has time for the underprivileged, or they want to refuse to accept that there is a real underclass in our great country.

1 in 6 children live in poverty we read the other day, get instituanalised and you can imagin the mind set of the "care givers", somehow it's the children's fault for the parents sins???? People do care if you happen to fit into the confines that judge society.

sound like jail, not a supportive environment

Very sad and depressing story.

One teenage girl told her that acts of self-injury, common among sexual abuse victims, invited punishment, not counsel or treatment, from workers.

Horrendous. Tathlyn has nailed it in his / her post.

These facilities are horrible when it comes to child placement. My fiance and I are trying to adopt a kid to give them a chance at a better future and to give them a sense of family life in a safe home, but after we filled out the application form, we were told there's a mandatory 18 month wait period. This wait period is to systematically make the potential applicants give up all hope for adoption. These children have to endure such neglect and stress during this wait period only to be forgotten because of this system. But I won't give up!

This is just awful. What kinds of monsters work in these places?

Not surprised.

I know this may sound like it would be difficult. But, what about having Japanese Tibetan Buddhist Monks in training administer to the children in these shelters. The shelters themselves sounds as if the best thing for them is to change hands and I can think of no better than the Tibetan Buddhist.