THY Topic
Japan's education ministry has published a letter purportedly from a school pupil threatening suicide on Saturday if he continues to be bullied.
The Japanese education minister received a package of letters from the child anonymously on Monday. The ministry has asked education boards across the country to check whether any pupils in their district have problems similar to those described. The contents of the letter have been published in Japanese newspapers.
It is hard to tell whether this is a genuine cry for help or not but the ministry is taking no chances, says the BBC's Chris Hogg in Tokyo. At a news conference on Tuesday, chief cabinet secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki stressed how seriously the threat was being taken.
'Living is painful'
"This is a matter of life and death," he told Reuters news agency. "We want him (the pupil) to treat as precious the life received from his parents and ancestors."
The package sent to the ministry included letters intended for the education minister, the child's bullies and his parents. In the letter addressed to Japan's Education Minister Bunmei Ibuki, the pupil - who is believed to be a boy - complains that he is being bullied and those responsible have not been punished.
"I am writing this letter because living is painful," the letter said.
"If nothing has changed by Wednesday, 8 November, I will commit suicide."
| You have only one life and that life is not yours alone. Bunmei Ibuki Japanese Education Minister |
In a note to the bullies the boy asks why they are picking on him. Another note addressed to a teacher asks why they will not help him.
Postmark identification
Also in the package were other notes to officials, a school principal, and to the boy's own parents. To them he says simply: "I am sorry." None of these letters gives enough information to identify the pupil. All the authorities have to go on is one character on the postmark, which could help to narrow down the search for him.
Education boards have been put on alert across the country in the hope they can prevent him carrying out his threat. At Tuesday's press conference, Mr Ibuki made a personal plea to the child, saying the child's life was not his alone to take.
"Your mother and father brought you into this world, holding you in their arms," he said.
"I want you to understand that you are not being left alone."
Bullying is a real problem in Japan. Three bullied teenagers have taken their own lives in Japan since August.The authorities have been trying to come up with ways to tackle the problem, but they are not finding it easy.
What makes someone bully?
What, if any, are the characteristics of bullies’ victims?
Are boys more likely to bully than girls?
Do boys bully differently from girls?
Is bullying might be more difficult for victims to deal with in cultures which attach great
importance to personal reputation or pride in Asia?
Comments
Hi Hitomi! How are you actually? You are still busy? I am worry about your health and beauty! :) Sleep well!
As for the article from BBC, I will import it to the Linguist system and read it. Because as I wrote the post the other day, I am very concerned about this problem. I am looking forward to reading your feedback after THY discussion! :)
Thank you! :D
Hello Hitomi-san,
It is a hot topic. I want to know your feedback, too.
I want all kids to hold a confidence.
If a kid is bullies' victims, I want the kid to know " It is not all. Other many people (will) love you."
Because many kids wrote message. I think they wanted someone to know themselves.
Why? I think one of the reasons is they did not have confidence that there is someone loves them.
Threfore they think that friends opinion is all evaluation of their life.
I do not want to say pupil of victim is bad.
It is sure a bully is bad.
However, sometimes life is a tough.
At this time I want to think "it is not all for my life", and remember someone who helps me.
I do not think that adult cannot help children about all things.
Nevertheless parents can make the mood that kid can talk everything.
If the kid get score poorly or do not behave, kids should know parents does love them.
It is importance that we have to teach kids how to get over difficulties. That is most difficult thing...
子供もいないのにえらそうにすみません。悩んでいる方も多いと思います。
でも、大人になってからも困難に耐えられる人間になってほしいなぁ。
Dear Hitomi,
I have just read that you' have be choosen as the learner of the month. Wonderful!!!
You deserve it :-D
Congratulation
Hi Hideko, I know you and Sumiko like BBC (?). We decided to talk about the same topic next week, too. It is a tough subject and there would never be a conclusion for that. I will post my experience I had when I came back from the U.S. I beleive your boy is a generous and strong person like you and your husband. Sometimes human beings are very arrogant and cannot be tolerant to accept differences in people. I will keep you posted on this matter. Anyway, I felt really lucky to be a member of THY. Mai is a very nice girl, serene, and smart. Tony is always supportive to members. Jill is a great tutor, as we all know!
Kazuyo, you are becoming very expressive even in English! Parenting would be a tough job and the life of kids these days must be tougher. I hope I may be of help to such people. By the way, I am try to be creative to have our group funky(?) yet beneficial to all of us.. This would be difficult to challenge, however, with wisdom of our group, this can be realized!
Marianne, you noticed the article before I did! Merci tres beaucoup! Cangratulate me for pubicly announcing my age which I have stopped counting since my 42nd birthday... (HAHA!) Jill named me a hip-45 (well, actually 44, yet) and I really like this, "Being a hip 44!" yeah!
Satomi, you did not win this time! I am older than you are!!!!!! (Hope you read this) ;-D
Hi Hitomi, have you read the article "Bullying" in the Linguist Library? Unfortunately bullying seems to be everywhere in the world, from maybe in a tiny country`s school to also in the adult community, I assume. Yet what is happening in Japan currently is so sad. In the content of "bullying", is it said that " In extreme cases, the victim of a bully can experience sever depression and entertain thoughts of suicide." These etreme cases are happening in many Japanese schools.
By the way, congratulations on being chosen as a learner of the month! I am so pleased with it. Are you going to the US since you mentioned in the commnet to Hideko.
Unfortunately, bullying is a very sad issue in our society. How you wrote, often it starts in a very young age. Us I am a mother too, I am also worried about this development. Recently, in Switzerland rapes occur in the school and in Germany we heard from amok runs in the school
I also agree with you, it is important to bring up the kids to very self-confident peoples, who learn how to live and what is morally correct.
I can image the pain for all affected persons in such a situation and I hope for the future, that such incidents are seldom and concerned persons help to prevent such incidents.
In addition, congratulations for the learner o the month!
First of all, congratulation on the learner of the month！I was wondering when you would get it :)
Yes, bullying has been a big issue and never been solved everywhere in the world.Unfortunately, It will be exsist for good... We should try not to bully anyone and help someone who is bullied at least!
Those questions are so good. I would like you to post some of the answers if you could :D
Sumiko, yes, Jill has mentioned about the people who try to commit suicide suffer from sever depression.This could be true. If students or even adult being treated badly, or bullied, they would not be able to sleep, and would become physically and mentally defeated. This is such a big problem.
Hi Annett, you must be worried about your children! It is very sad that these things are common in every world. We do hope to make the world a little better, don't we?
Yukiko, I am trying to post some of our topic. I am always curious about other discussions and how people have there 1 on 1s. If I post our topics, I would get more chances to know about other people.
AND EVERYONE, Thank you so much for your nice words about me being the learner of the month. I was kind of feeling down for a while since my job got really busy. It was only recent that I started feeling better and decided to study again. So, this was a prize for me to go on and I am really appreciative to The Linguist and my friends at the Linguist.