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A study by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology found 410,000 cases of reported bullying among elementary, middle, and high school students in 2017, an increase of roughly 90,000 reports compared to the previous year. While it’s not clear if the increase is due to meaner kids or a greater willingness to report incidents, there’s no question that bullying has become an increasingly talked-about subject in Japan, with many parents and educators struggling to find the best way to address a problem that wasn’t so commonly or openly discussed in their youth.
Tokyo-based Yell thinks it may have a solution, or at least a way to improve the situation. However, Yell isn’t an education or psychology institute, but an insurance company.
As of this week, Yell is offering bully insurance, and is thought to be the first company in Japan to provide such coverage. However, Yell isn’t handing out payments whenever someone lobs a schoolyard put-down at their clients’ children. Instead, the service offers financial support in the case of legal or medical fees stemming from bullying.
For starters, parents who purchase bully insurance can consult with Yell’s partner lawyers, free of charge, if they feel their child is being bullied, and want to explore legal options for rectifying the situation. The lawyers can advise parents on how to go about documenting and compiling evidence that will prove the situation constitutes bullying, as establishing that understanding is the first step in compelling schools or the bullies’ parents to take actions to stop the bullying.
Bully insurance, which costs 2,640 yen a month, also provides partial compensation for more involved legal services and representation which require payment of lawyers’ fees. Medical fees are also covered, whether for injuries a client’s child sustained at the hands of bullies, or for injuries the client’s child caused by fighting back, as is compensation for personal property damaged or destroyed as part of bullying-related events.
Some might argue that nothing is going to more quickly make a kid the target of ridicule from his peers than them knowing that he his parents have purchased bully insurance for him, so odds are clients are advised to keep their coverage on the down-low. And while still others may hold that the better way to deal with bullies is a swift fist in the mouth, Japan is general doesn’t go for violent problem-solving, and it’s likely that Yell’s service is going to be an attractive solution to some number of Japanese parents.
Source: Yell, Niconico News via Jin
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- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2019/05/24/you-can-now-buy-bully-insurance-for-your-kids-in-japan/
19 Comments
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Yubaru
This is like the "ambulance chaser" lawyers in the US. Looking to profit from someone else's misery!
Chip Star
Those ambulance chasing lawyers wouldn't be necessary if insurance companies didn't constantly try to screw the victim of accidents.
Vince Black
There's a free service for insurance against bullying, it's called actually talking to your kids about it
BlackFlagCitizen
Unless this insurance comes with a personal body guard, it's totally useless for the one being bullied
Joe Blow
Put your kids in judo and kickboxing/boxing, that's the best bully insurance you can buy them.
Serengoza
If your child's classmates find out your child has 'bully insursance', your child will be bullied for it.
oldman_13
Ridiculous.
Drako
I have a better solution. If your kid is being bullied, the parents of the Bully and Victim need to talk to each other like ADULTS, and bring to light the problem, and work on a solution. Most of the time the parents of the Bully have no idea what is going on. Why jump straight to a lawyer and try to get money for a problem that can easily be solved by communication.
Drako
afanofjapan
The only bullying insurance i need is coverage for my legal fees when i find those who are bullying my kids.
rainyday
This is pretty stupid. As a parent, my main concern with bullying isn't concern over having to pay to hire a lawyer to sue somebody or medical expenses (which are already covered by other insurance) after they have been bullied.
My concern is that I want my kids to be happy and I don't want them getting hurt by a bully in the first place! This ain't going to help with that.
PerformingMonkey
Some, not all, schools need you to show them that you are serious, otherwise they just try to brush it under the carpet.
Nobnaga
just WOW that's is something really stupid to do !!
Kazuaki Shimazaki
Fundamentally speaking, all insurance looks to profit from misery, but it isn't useless. Letting the school know you are collecting legally admissible evidence of their omissions and that you have financial support for filing lawsuits should the need arise might just be the margin to motivate them to do something about it.
Brian Wheway
I think it would be more beneficial to spend the money on boxing, or judo lessons, it will give the child confidence and a life skill to deal with imminent danger, ie if when they get older and they are confronted by a mugger, you can't write to your insurance company and send the mugger a nasty letter! usually bullies pick on weaker people, so standing unto them I would say that they will go and pick on someone else. As for bullying teachers, well they might just have to watch there step, I don't know if Japan has league tables for preforming or underperforming schools, if they do and a particular school has a low score due to lots of bullying insurance claims, parents might not want to send there children to that school, thus its looks bad on the school, maybe the school governors might sit up and take notice.
gakinotsukai
It's all about physical and financial compensations nothing about kid's trauma.
A psychologist service would be useful to prevent post-trauma suicidal attempt.
mmwkdw
This is a tricky one.
When asking your Kids if they're being Bullied.... they may say "No", so as to avoid further Bullying. Trust your own instincts here...
So, First I'd try to find out what's really going on, maybe by asking Friends Parents about what they've heard, etc.
And if it's real Bullying rather than the usual Kids type of thing, then I'd decide an appropriate course of action... of course, it could be my own Kids fault (or indeed them doing the actual Bullying and getting a whallooping in return and crying about it).
Otherwise... in the case that they are being subjected to Bullying:
I'd attempt an initial casually meet with the Bullys' Parents and put it politely, that the current situation is rather disruptive, and that it would be good for all, if they could try to sort things out.
Should that have no effect after a couple of days/weeks (depending upon severity), I'd repeat the "casual" meet, but will be a bit more blunt with them. I'd give them a step-by-step account of how things may go, and how unless it's stopped, it's not going to be good for them - definitely not Financially. I don't want what happens to other Kids , in similar situations here in Japan, happen to mine, period, and niceties in approach, at this stage are no longer a consideration for me.
Clearly, after that stern warning, should things no longer be resolved, my next step would be (if there is one) to raise the issue at the next PTA in front of the other Parents.... at least, that would certainly get things out into the open for all to be aware of.
At the same time , I'd also talk to the School Headmaster, inform them of the situation, and ask that they actively monitor the situation and take corrective action.
As we're in Japan, I'd also follow-up that Headmaster visit, with one to the local Kurakcho, and advise them that the School has a Bullying problem, that I've informed the head-master, and outline the approach I've taken, todate, and ask them to follow-up.