Dealing with Ijime (Bullying) Among Japanese Students

The Japanese educational system, which is the envy of many other nations, is faced with the problem of excessive violence on the part of students. Excellent schools and services are available for children who are mentally retarded or who have some physical disease or condition, but very little provision has been made for instruction or treatment for children with mild to moderate emotional disturbance and/or learning disability. Both historical and modern reasons why this is so are examined, and attitudes of educators and of the society as a whole toward emotional disturbance and its effects upon academic achievement are explored. The author taught for one year in a school of education attached to a major private university in Japan.