Children going through puberty need more moral education Japan

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 05 Jun 2004 - 13:00 PDT


The harrowing incident Tuesday in which an 11-year-old primary school girl of Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, slashed her classmate begs the question--how should adults deal with such violence by children going through puberty?

The number of cases of violence in schools peaked in fiscal 2000. According to an Education, Science and Technology Ministry survey, every year about 600 to 800 such incidents are committed by pupils at about 23,000 primary schools nationwide. In fiscal 2002, there were 647 cases, 18.1 percent fewer than the previous year.

The survey shows that the number of violent acts committed by female students at primary schools accounts for 8.4 percent of the total, lower than that in middle and high school. Therefore, it was previously considered least likely that a female primary school student would commit a serious violent act.

The latest incident came as a deep shock to the ministry. Education, Science and Technology Minister Takeo Kawamura could only say, "We need more moral education."

Mitsuki Niregi, who heads the department of psychology at Rissho University, has analyzed the latest incident as a case of kireru, or when children during puberty are easily angered and unable to control their actions. Niregi led a team set up by the Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education to investigate a case in which a middle school boy killed one of the female teachers at his school in Kuroiso in the prefecture in 1998.

"It's hard for other people to understand any unbalanced behavior (by children), such as overreacting to a minor incident, but a child who suffers from accumulated stress cannot control his or her behavior, even if the final stimulus is extremely small," he said.

The changes of body and mind children undergo during puberty cause instability, but they are not mature enough to control their impulsive behavior, which often results in unexpected tragedies, according to Niregi.

It is hard for adults to understand that a child could take someone's life just because they become annoyed.

Mitsuru Taki, a chief researcher at the National Institute for Educational Policy Research, said, "Children are apparently affected by the information age, opting to behave in a way that was never considered acceptable before."

"There used to be a line children would not cross, for example, they would throw chairs or desks, but would never be violent toward teachers. They never committed enjo kosai (school girl prostitution), but shoplifting did occur," he said.

However, crimes are reported constantly by the media, and the images and information that is available on the Internet and in some movies have pushed children to gradually change their behavior, according to Taki.

Children sometimes eventually decide to "kill a jerk," he added.

It is impossible to restrict information intended for adults from children, and many young students can easily access violent movies and dramas designed for an older audience. Children who do not know how to solve conflicts in their social groupings are provided with an avenue to argue on the Internet.

"It's just like a baby holding a knife," Taki said.

The ministry believes it has dealt with juvenile crimes appropriately in the past.

After a 14-year-old middle school student of Kobe committed murder in 1997, the ministry assigned counselors to schools and focused attention on moral education. The ministry also built stronger ties between relevant organizations in the community to foster better coordination to prevent juvenile crimes, and provided more opportunities for children to join social activities.

"It's impossible to change the direction of the information age, but it's important to get children to understand acceptable social behavior and nurture their judgment and creativity," Taki said. "Unless children learn how to handle relationships properly, this problem will never be solved."

Kenichi Maruyama Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

Copyright 2004 The Yomiuri Shimbun

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