In the past 20 years bullying has become a serious problem in contemporary Japanese society. Bully-related suicides are on the rise and policymakers have been forced to aggressively pursue the issue. This article suggests that bullying in Japan has been affected by many factors, including the stresses involved in the educational system, Japan’s indigenous religion, Shinto, and a national trend of passivity towards power. Japan affords us the opportunity to see bullying as an international concern and to learn from the efforts of the Japanese to combat it.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Ahmad, Y. and P. Smith (1990) ‘Behavioral Measures Review: Bullying in Schools’, Newsletter of the Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry12: 26-27.
2.
Crystal, D. (1994) ‘Concepts of Deviance in Children and Adolescents: the Case of Japan’, Deviant Behavior15(3): 241-266.
3.
Fredman, L. (1994) ‘Bullied to Death in Japan’, Nikkei Weekly, 26 December.
4.
Gakkou de okotteiru koto [Things that Happen at School] (1997) Tokyo: Benessakou.
5.
Hosaka, N. (1983) Sensei, namida o kudasai! [Be with us, Teacher!]. Tokyo: Shueisha.
6.
‘Ijime boushi kakushin motezu’ [Prevention of Bullying]. Asahi Evening News, 5 February 1996.
7.
‘Ijime no kokoro to tsukiatte’ [Keeping Close with the Spirit of Bullying]. Asahi Evening News, 24 February 1994.
8.
‘Ijime o yomu 1996’ [Reading about Bullying 1996]. Asahi Evening News, 25 November 1996.
9.
‘Ijime saiaku no 6 manken’ [Bullying’s Worst 60,000 Incidents]. Asahi Evening News, 25 December 1996.
10.
‘Ijime wa naku naranai’ [Bullying Will Not Stop]. Asahi Evening News, 9 February 1997.
11.
Kakita, S. (1996) Semete ano toki hitokoto demo - ijime jisatsu shita kodomo no oya wa tsutaeru [If at That Time, Even One Word - The Appeal of a Mother Whose Bullied Son Committed Suicide]. Tokyo: Soushiya.
12.
Kamata, Satoshi (1996) Kyouiku koujou no kodomotachi [The Children of the Education Factory]. Tokyo: Soushiya.
13.
Kikkawa, M. (1987) ‘Teachers’ Opinions and Treatments for Bully/Victim Problems among Students in Junior and Senior High Schools: Results of a Fact-finding Study’, Journal of Human Development23: 25-30.
14.
Mihashi, O. (1987) ‘Symbolism of Social Discrimination’, Current Anthropology28(4): S19-S29.
15.
Miyahara, K. (1983) ‘Ijime no kouzou to jisen no kadai’ [The Structure of Bullying and Issues in Practice]. Seikatsu Shidou319.
16.
Mori, K. (1985) ‘Bullying is Running out of Control’. Asahi Evening News, 7 October.
17.
Morita, Y. (1996) ‘Bullying as a Contemporary Behavior Problem in the Context of Increasing “Societal Privatization” in Japan’, Prospects26 (2, June): 311-329.
18.
Murakami, Y. (1985) ‘Bullies in the Classroom’, Japan Quarterly32 (Oct./Dec.): 407-411.
19.
Ogi, N. (1996) Ijimekko - sono bunseki to kokufukuhou. Tokyo: Gakuyoushobou.
20.
Olweus, D. (1996) ‘Bully/Victim Problems in School’, Prospects26(2): 331-359.
21.
Reid, T. R. (1994) ‘Cluster of Teenage Suicides Shocks Japanese’, Washington Post, 15 December.
22.
Schoolland, K. (1986) ‘Ijime: the Bullying of Japanese Youth’, International Education15(2, spring): 5-28.
23.
‘Sutoressu tamaru kodomotachi’ [Children Under Pressure]. Japan Economic News, 2 October 1996.
24.
Takemura, K. and O. Takagi (1988) ‘Ijime genshou ni kakawaru shinriteki geiin’ [Psychological Factors in the ‘Ijime’ Phenomenon]. Japanese Journal of Educational Psychology36: 57-62.
25.
‘Tenko, kesseki danryokuteki ni katsuyou’ [Flexibility in School Transfer and Absenteeism]. Asahi Evening News, 22 June 1996.
26.
‘Verdict Spotlights School Corporal Punishment’ (1986) Japan Times, 23 March.
27.
WuDunn, S. (1996) ‘For Japan’s Children, a Japanese Torment’, New York Times, 8 September.
