Mother Outraged as School Dismisses Oiso Bullying with “Just Ignore It” Response

“The school did not take proper action, despite my son being bullied for five years.”

These are the words of the mother of Mr. A, who suffered severe bullying in elementary school.

A serious case of bullying occurred at an elementary school in Oiso Town, Kanagawa Prefecture. Mr. A, who was a 5th-grade student at the time (now a 1st-year middle school student), had been bullied by a group of students since entering school, to the point where he was driven to the brink of taking his own life. Despite his parents repeatedly requesting the school to take action, the situation did not improve. It was only after A-kun transferred to another school due to the unbearable suffering that the incident was officially recognized as a serious case under the Bullying Prevention Act. A third-party committee is currently investigating the matter.

Mr. A’s mother shared her thoughts (comments without specific attribution are from the mother).

“The bullying started when he was in the first grade. I noticed that my son’s gym clothes bag had been torn several times, but at first, I thought he might have just been rough with it. However, during a classroom observation, I saw a classmate actually tearing the bag. That same child frequently called my son, who has a larger build, names like ‘Hey, fatty, you’re in the way,’ and harassed him on the way home from school. Even after reporting this to his homeroom teacher and the vice principal, the bullying did not stop.”

 

“I want them to resolve it on their own.”

 There were several bullying groups both inside and outside the class, and even as the grade level increased, the attacks on Mr. A continued.

“My son’s backpack was repeatedly kicked, and his shoes were often thrown out of the shoe rack. He was constantly called names in a mocking tone, and the bullies even tried to cover up their actions by warning him, ‘Don’t snitch.’ Their methods were particularly insidious. The stress from the bullying caused him to develop a tic, making him blink forcefully, and he also began suffering from stomach pain.”

The bullying group frequently skipped class to hang out in the restroom, shouting loudly and causing disturbances. By the time Mr. A reached the fourth grade, the bullying escalated even further.

“They slapped him near the face and even took his test papers, ripping them up and throwing them away. During lunchtime, they would serve his food while mocking him, saying things like ‘Fatty, don’t eat!’ As a result, he often found that there was almost no food left for him. My son reported these incidents to his homeroom teacher, but his complaints were completely ignored.”

Mr. A was unable to calmly go to the bathroom, and he couldn’t eat his lunch properly, leading to frequent early departures from school. He was also told by the bullying group, “I want to push you down the stairs,” and he was forced to constantly watch his back while at school.

His mother repeatedly reported the bullying to the school, while his father wrote letters to the principal demanding appropriate action. However, the school responded with shocking statements such as, “Minor bullying should be resolved on their own,” and “Mr. A lacks the ability to ignore it (the bullying).”