Japanese firm to offer insurance against bullying: How this cruel and ‘life-threatening’ problem haunts schools

Bullying is becoming a bigger and bigger problem in Japanese culture. So much so that a company is now offering an insurance policy for schoolchildren that are bullied either in person or online. Let’s take a closer look: The policy According to Japan Times, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance will make available the insurance policy against bullying – known in schools as ijime – from October. The policy, which can be taken for up to ¥200,000 (Rs 1.24 lakh), will cover counselling fees for bullied students, expenses related to changing of schools, uniforms or learning material.

Parents can also pay an extra ¥120 (Rs 74) per month to cover legal expenses.

This will be offered first to schools and associations that already have policies with the company. Parents must file damage reports from police and consultations with schools to claim compensation, as per the newspaper. How big of a problem is it? It’s a big problem. The 2021-2022 fiscal year saw 615,351 cases registered across Japan. A bulk of those cases, 500,562, came from elementary schools.

That’s a 19 per cent rise from the previous fiscal year and eight times that number in 2021.

In 2018, there were 414,378 such incidents – a 91,000 increase from 2017, as per DW. A total of 474 cases were classified as ‘serious’, while 55 were determined to be “life-threatening”. The authorities rule that 10 of the 250 children that took their own lives were bullied in person –  a result of the victims leaving notes behind. [caption id=“attachment_12419372” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] This photo shows young children being escorted through a park during an outing in Tokyo. AFP[/caption] In 2021, Japan’s education ministry recorded a record 21,900 cases of cyberbullying, as per _The Mainichi._Hajime Arai, a professor at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka Prefecture, told the outlet, “The age for starting to use smartphones is getting younger, at a faster pace than expected. It’s necessary for children and their guardians to learn about the dangers of online society early. “First, teachers and staff should understand cyberbullying and work with outside experts, such as the police and universities, to prevent it from happening,” the cyberbullying expert added. But experts warn that those numbers are likely under-reported as most victims are too afraid to come forward, as per DW. Professor Mieko Nakabayashi told the outlet, “Japan has always had a problem with bullying in schools, but it seems to me that there have been more children committing suicide that have been linked to bullying, and I think that has made this a bigger issue for schools, for education authorities and the government.” “They are under far more pressure than before to carry out thorough investigations now,” the social studies professor at Waseda University added. “These cases are becoming more documented and reported, which may account for the increase in cases, but it is clear that more efforts need to be made to tackle this issue.” “Bullying is common in many countries as not all children have been civilized at a young age, but I feel it is different here in Japan,” she said. “In schools here, a pupil who is different from the others will be a target. That is the same throughout Japanese society. Conformity is important,” she added. “So if you are talented in class, or if you are a girl who is too pretty, or if you play a musical instrument well or if you just act differently, you are a target.” Hajime Arai, a professor at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka Prefecture, told The Mainichi, “The age for starting to use smartphones is getting younger, at a faster pace than expected. It’s necessary for children and their guardians to learn about the dangers of online society early. “First, teachers and staff should understand cyberbullying and work with outside experts, such as the police and universities, to prevent it from happening,” the cyberbullying expert added. Japan’s Parliament in 2022 made “online insults” punishable by imprisonment of up to a year. [caption id=“attachment_12419402” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The development came after professional wrestler and reality show star Hana Kimura took her own life after becoming the target of massive bullying on social media.[/caption] The law allows offenders convicted of online insults to be jailed for up to one year, or fined 300,000 yen. The development came after professional wrestler and reality show star Hana Kimura took her own life after becoming the target of massive bullying on social media. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News ,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .