Abe: Suspend bullies from schools

is this the right thing to do? getting bullies on the street would create more trouble cos the kids will have nothing better to do. [jus like the losers on Greater Manchester, liverpool etc] or if a bully was suspended, would their parents demand proof that their child is an arse, or a dedicated pupil.

how long has bullying been happening in Japan? i thought Japan had manners to respect their elders and other people. of course, taking the piss for fun is ok, cos its only for a laff] only in western countrys would i find bullying

Bullying is endemic to Japanese culture, and that includes schools. It would be nice if someone actually described what bullying is. Is it assigning a degrogatory nickname to a classmate? “Taxing” milk money? Social exclusion? All of these things are practiced in Japanese schools by all of the students. Teachers often set the tone, and either ignore the problem or set the tone.

Bullying exists in Western countries, too – I should know of all people. My sister’s math teacher mercilessly tormented her for a year, and apparently he chose one student in each class to bully. He was fired the next year, but only after a twenty-year teaching career.

But I don’t think Abe is talking about suspending the girls who pick on one classmate because she is too pretty or wears nicer clothes than others, because this behavior is widespread and not easily eradicated. It forms the backbone of Japanese culture.

Abe is instead talking about suspending violent “lads” as WuJaoMu suggests. I taught junior high school in Japan for five years. Every class had at least one sociopathic student who came from the wrong side of the tracks, was growing up in desperate circumstances, and had maybe two choices upon graduation at 14: the mafia or the military. The less destructive boys usually could get a construction job (it takes at least some brains) but the more violent fellows were on a one-way trip to the underworld, and would probably end up selling speed or breaking kneecaps.

But suspending these boys (and girls?) just doesn’t make sense. No one will look after them – they often don’t have parents, and school is all they have. Probably the best place for them is reform school, which, unlike its American counterpart, is a surprisingly good place to end up, if you don’t mind shining shoes and planting radishes at 6AM on a snow Hokkaido morning.