School Violence 2.8 Times Higher Than 20 Years Ago Due to Minor Issues Dramatic Increase in Elementary Schools

Currently, the number of violent incidents occurring in Japanese elementary, junior high, and high schools stands at approximately 95,000, marking the highest number ever recorded.

About 30 years ago, school violence typically involved delinquent groups known as “yankees” who would assault teachers or vandalize school windows. However, in recent years, the number of children engaging in such overt acts of violence has drastically decreased.

Despite this, why have violent acts among children become so prevalent? A principal of an elementary school in Tokyo explains:

“Previously, school violence was carried out by older students in junior high and high schools. However, now it is actually elementary schools that face more serious issues. The younger the children, the more noticeable their violent behaviors have become.”

What is happening to our children?

The recent book “Report: How Smartphone Parenting is Destroying Children” (Shinchosha) interviews over 200 education professionals from preschools to universities, shedding light on the problems children face. This article will continue from the previous part, “Part 1: Record Number of School Bullying Cases Includes Abusive Remarks and a Shocking Background Report,” to examine the current aggressive behaviors of children.

Part 1: Record Number of School Bullying: “Get lost, you scum” and Outrageous Outbursts

How much has school violence increased in Japanese elementary, junior high, and high schools? Compared to 20 years ago, the number of incidents has increased 2.8 times. Considering the decrease in the number of children due to the declining birthrate, it’s clear that violence has increased even more than the numbers suggest.

Among these, the most notable is the violence committed by elementary school students. While high school students have decreased and junior high school students have fluctuated but not changed significantly, only elementary school students have shown a significant increase year after year.

The lower the grade, the more likely violent behavior becomes

A teacher working at an elementary school in Tokyo says:

“Fights often break out among the children during class. Even if there is a valid reason, the causes of these conflicts are really trivial and insignificant. For example, if a child next to them doesn’t lend them an eraser, or if their indoor shoes get dirty because someone stepped on them, or if they felt laughed at by a friend for a mistaken comment.

These minor incidents, which one might expect to occur normally in school, trigger immediate reactions such as hitting someone or breaking things. It’s surprising to think that if they were to get angry over every little thing, they wouldn’t be able to cope.”

Recent years have shown a trend in violent behavior among elementary school students. As the principal mentioned earlier, the younger the grade, the more likely violent behavior becomes.

Why do trivial matters escalate into violent incidents, as mentioned by the teacher? A teacher working at an elementary school in Hyogo Prefecture explains:

“Children who cause problems in class often cannot control their emotions and tend to believe that everything should go their way. This type of child is increasing year by year. They live with the assumption that everyone around them will cater to their needs.

These children are surprisingly quick to lose their temper if things don’t go as they expect. They cannot accept reality. Therefore, they get easily excited over minor issues, curse at others, and resort to physical violence. They also do not hesitate to use violence against teachers.”

According to the teacher, the increase in this type of child is influenced by excessive pampering by parents.

Parents tend to prepare everything in advance and have their children follow predetermined activities rather than trusting them to explore and do things freely. From the preschool stage, they avoid children who might cause trouble, ensuring that everything is prepared by adults and excessively praising them with comments like “Good job” or “Amazing,” while eliminating failures and experiences of setbacks as much as possible.

As a result, by the time children enter elementary school, they come to expect that everything should go their way and that they will be praised. When things don’t go as expected, they either become enraged and act out violently or quickly lose heart. This is said to be causing the increase in violence among lower-grade students.