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Boy seriously injured after jumping from 4th floor of school building

29 Comments

A 14-year-old boy sustained major injuries after jumping from the 4th floor of a school building in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture.

Police and school officials said Monday that the incident occurred at around 3 p.m. on Sunday at Takamatsu North Prefectural Junior High School, Fuji TV reported Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, school officials said the boy went missing during soccer club practice on Sunday afternoon. At around 3 p.m., an assistant counselor saw the boy getting ready to jump from the fourth floor and urged him to come back inside. The boy replied, "I'm sorry," before climbing over the handrail and jumping. He was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition, police said.

According to the school, no evidence has been confirmed regarding any bullying or physical abuse, Fuji reported. However, not long before the incident, the soccer club coach had been seen verbally reprimanding the boy.

In a similar incident last June, another student jumped to his death at the same school.

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29 Comments
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kcJapan

You got that right. What these self-styled tough guys don't get is there are always some kids who are not gonna stand up for themselves. Either their peers look out for them (good) or target them (bad).

Seems to me they were the kind of kids who targeted the weak kids. Y'know, bullies.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

He may have been watching many Hong Kong and Hollywood action movies I though. He thinks he can jump out from 4th story without injury like Jackie Chan did in the movie. Some kids are living in fantasy world.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

"The boy replied, “I’m sorry,” before climbing over the handrail and jumping."

Some have commented that kids aren't tough enough? A fourteen year old jumping to one's death is the consequence of a failed school. Blame the children as they are weak and sensitive? That's just sick.

The child apologized and then killed himself and some have the disgusting impression they want to blame the children? That is the definition of an evil and callous thought process. Shame on you.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I teach my son to respect others, but don't let someone disrespect him. One day he came home and told me about a group of guys who started to say mean things because he would not join their club. I told him words are just words and when they say them just laugh back at them. One day 3 approached him and one guy knocked his hat off his head he said he laughed and just put it back on and ask the guy is that all you can do. The guy the lead bully who dared the other guy to knock his hat off asked what would he do nothing but put if back on. My son said he laughed again, so the lead bully went to knock his hat off that's when my son kicked him between his legs and gave him a hard punch to the stomach folded him like a paper bag. I was asked to come to the school, I said I would not come unless the other parents are present, and I said I would send my son to a private school back home I didn't care. The parents came to the meeting and apologized and I said to the parent of the bully who got kicked in the scrotum! Next time I will do the same to you. After that I had no problems and the bully when he saw my son he went the other way. Sometimes you have to teach your kids to be physical if not they too will be jumping off a roof!! Not my son!! No problems!!!

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Need to know more details what the coach did and/or said before saying he should be fired, sued or locked up. I was verbally reprimanded by coaches and teachers many times in the good ol U.S. of A and I never thought about jumping off a building from it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Pixilated

Nearly all kids do not go throwing themselves off roofs and from windows. Meaning, the ones who do are different. They are particularly sensitive, depresses and unable to stand up for themselves.

That is why they are bullied. By their peers.

Everyone knows what I am talking about here. We all knew those one or two kids who just couldn't stand up for themselves. And we tried our best to protect them.

Yes, you are cold.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

They need "thicker skins" so to speak to accept that in life, there are going to be times where you're going to have to face negativity from other people, totally agree this is why I teach my son to be more assertive and not take BS from anybody. No, not punch somebody in the face as soon as they say something bad about you. more like I dont give too F what you say, but be prepared to fight when a bully keeps picking on your. I had a similar problem when in school, a bully kept speaking crap about & to me and i just brushed it aside, then one day I snapped and let him have the lot. never had that bully problem again.. ever. you may lose a fight but bullies dont tend to pick on somebody again if they run the risk of a black eye.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Here we go again! Its a shame when you have to go school and be bullied and go through life being bullied in the work place. I guess its part of the sphere in Japan its like a virus!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Anyone who actually believes this could happen because of the verbal behavior of one school coach is very short-sighted. No matter how awful the coach was, there must've been a whole host of other problems, possibly at home too, to make this the incident that broke the camel's back. Calling him "too sensitive" while knowing nothing about his life is ludicrous. At 14 if you have trouble at home it makes the whole world seem like a dark prison.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Although we do not have the specifics yet, if I were a parent of an elementary school child in the area, I would avoid putting my child in this school come hell or high water. If my child were in the school, I would get them out.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Comment written by Pixilated

I don't want to sound cold, but with all the focus being put on trying to prevent bullying, I wonder if any emphasis has ever been put on making kids emotionally and mentally tougher. That is to say, jumping off a roof because a coach verbally reprimanded him sounds like these kids today have become too soft and sensitive. They need "thicker skins" so to speak to accept that in life, there are going to be times where you're going to have to face negativity from other people, but you can't just go jumping off a roof every time someone says or does something mean.

The article does not really tell enough of the situation to draw such a conclusion. Sure, the kid could have jumped solely as a result of being reprimanded by the coach but there is a lot of information we do not know. The kid has probably been bullied by his teammates, or may have a strained relationship with his parents, or is a general target of ijime within his school. Judging by his age and the information stating he is in junior high, he is also most likely dealing with pressures involving entrance examinations-- suicide rates for people going through this period of life is pretty high, which is partially due to a Japanese mentality of not wanting to burden others with their problems.

Regardless of what the reason may be, it is quite sad to hear, and the situation should definitely be investigated further to come to an understanding and hopefully, a solution.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Given the school's track record it would seem a good idea to close it... Something is wrong on all levels if the atmosphere is so oppressive that two students kill themselves within the space of year. But no, they'll carry on.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Two general rules of thumb:

If you're not careful you will hurt yourself. If you want to commit suicide the fourth floor will not cut it!
-1 ( +2 / -3 )

One event like this is a tragedy, two events like this are a pattern. Despite what the staff members say, it is probably well past the time when the police be called in to find out what is actually going on.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Im always amazed at my junior high school students as they dangle out the window for souji jikan. Im even more amazaed at the structure of the school buildings. Most of them you can do a running jump right out of the window no problem. Kids jumping out of school windows is something I have only heard of in Japan. Maybe they should rethink the architecture of these buildings.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

According to the school, no evidence has been confirmed regarding any bullying or physical abuse

Not saying this is the case for this boy but it is commonly the case that the schools have no evidence of bullying (off course... cause bullies will hide this from teachers). Point is to figure out a better way for schools to be aware of bullying. Ideas?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I don't want to sound cold, but with all the focus being put on trying to prevent bullying, I wonder if any emphasis has ever been put on making kids emotionally and mentally tougher. That is to say, jumping off a roof because a coach verbally reprimanded him sounds like these kids today have become too soft and sensitive. They need "thicker skins" so to speak to accept that in life, there are going to be times where you're going to have to face negativity from other people, but you can't just go jumping off a roof every time someone says or does something mean.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Hey crazyjoe! Have you not been following the news? They have introduced moral education into schools in an attempt to control bullying. However, from my experience of working in Japanese schools (20+ over ten years) most of the bullying and intimidation comes from the teachers in the form of discipline and punishment. If the teachers are charged with teaching morals, I wonder who is gonna teach it to the teachers.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Some students choose suicide rather than continue to face bullying. Schools should include social skills training in the curriculum and adopt a zero tolerance policy for bullying, including intolerance for bullying by teachers.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Was the other kid that killed himself in the soccer club too?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

the soccer club coach had been seen verbally reprimanding the boy

I suspect 'reprimand' is being used euphemistically here.

I have seen first hand many jhs/hs coaches verbally attacking the young athletes on their teams. They do it persistently, viciously and publicly, well within the realm of verbal abuse. Seeing this still haunts me, and I will never again participate in a Japanese-led sports activity.

This coaching approach is even encouraged by some of the mothers in the name of toughening up their children. Some of the youth seem to get fired up under this sort of pressure (still the wrong means to an end), but many others fold, some suffering from tragic mental anguish as a result.

I know of at least one case where 'reprimand' from a coach (outside the school system) resulted in suicide of a teenager. (And no, the teenage suicides I know of did not make the newspapers, and were conveyed as accidents to the student body and part-time faculty) Japanese society has got to put a stop to this.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Wow. Like all above, there must be something seriously wrong with this school. One such incident is too many let alone two.

I feel kind of sorry for the assistant counselor. He/she must be blaming him/her self for not being able to stop this boy from jumping.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

It is quite likely he was a victim of bullying, but it's just as likely the bullying came from his soccer coach.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Wow. This makes me just livid.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

It would be nice if the PTA had a good old fashioned "talk" with this so called, SOCCER COACH!! He sounds like he deserves a good old fashioned hoarse whipping! Poor kids!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Where does it say they aren't?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Deadly school. Isn't it time the parents got irate?

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Two at one school. Anyone think it is the school? Was the other boy a soccer team member?

11 ( +11 / -0 )

According to the school, no evidence has been confirmed regarding any bullying or physical abuse

sure, he just jumped because he felt like it...

The reality is that these schools are either in so much denial that they are afraid to admit that they have a bullying problem, or they are so out of touch with the students, that they are too blind to see it.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

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