Theme 1: 変わっていく若者の生活 (The Changing Lives of Young People)

Sub-topic: 若者の健康 (Young People's Health) — いじめ (Bullying)

Welcome to your study notes for いじめ (bullying), a crucial topic under Theme 1: 変わっていく若者の生活 in your Pearson Edexcel A Level Japanese (9JA0) course! This topic appears across Paper 1 (Listening, Reading, and Translation), Paper 2 (Written response), and is a frequent subject in Paper 3 (Speaking - Discussion on a Theme). Don't worry if discussing social issues in Japanese feels intimidating at first. By breaking down the legal definitions, key statistics, and core cultural concepts into manageable chunks, you will gain the exact knowledge and vocabulary needed to achieve top marks.

1. What Exactly is "いじめ"? The Official Japanese Definition

When discussing bullying in the UK or internationally, people often talk about general mean behaviour. However, in Edexcel A Level Japanese, examiners expect you to know the specific legal definition in Japan established by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT / 文部科学省).

The Bullying Prevention Promotion Act (2013)

In Japanese, this law is known as いじめ防止対策推進法 (いじめぼうしたいさくすいしんほう). Under this Act, bullying is legally defined as:

Physical or psychological acts committed by a student against another student (including acts committed over the internet) that cause the victim physical pain or psychological suffering.

The Golden Rule: The Standpoint of the Victim (被害者の視点)

Crucially, Japanese law states that whether an act is considered bullying is determined strictly from the standpoint of the victim (被害者の視点 - ひがいしゃのしてん).
Even if the perpetrator claims "It was just a joke" (冗談だった - じょうだんだった) or "We were just playing" (ふざけていただけ), if the receiving student feels hurt or distressed, it is officially classified as いじめ.

Key Takeaway: In your speaking and writing exams, always mention that bullying in Japan is legally defined by the victim's emotional or physical suffering, not the intent of the perpetrator.

2. The Turning Point: The 2013 Act and School Responsibilities

Why did Japan pass the いじめ防止対策推進法 in 2013? Understanding the background will give depth to your Paper 2 essays and Paper 3 speaking responses.

The Historical Context

In 2011, a serious incident involving the suicide of a junior high school student occurred in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture (滋賀県大津市). The investigation revealed that school authorities had failed to recognize the severity of the bullying and did not intervene in time. This tragedy led directly to national legal reform in 2013.

Three Mandatory Requirements for Japanese Schools

The 2013 Act placed specific legal obligations on schools across Japan:

1. Regular Surveys (定期的なアンケート調査): Schools must conduct regular questionnaires to detect bullying early before it escalates.
2. Bullying Prevention Countermeasures Committee (学校いじめ防止対策組織): Every school must form a dedicated internal committee to handle reports systematically rather than leaving the problem to individual classroom teachers.
3. Mandatory Reporting of "Serious Situations" (重大事態の報告 - じゅうだいじたいのほうこく): If bullying results in severe physical/mental harm or prolonged absence from school, the school must immediately report it to the local board of education (教育委員会) and launch a formal investigation.

Key Takeaway: The 2013 law moved bullying prevention from an optional school guideline to a legal duty requiring proactive detection, committee-based action, and official reporting.

Using accurate data impresses examiners and demonstrates strong knowledge of modern Japanese society. Here are the essential figures from MEXT surveys:

• Total Recognized Cases (認知件数 - にんちけんすう): Reached a record high of 769,022 cases in elementary, junior high, and high schools (a 5% increase from the previous year).
• Serious Situations (重大事態 - じゅうだいじたい): Cases resulting in severe harm or long-term absence rose to a record 1,405 cases.
• School Refusal (不登校 - ふとうこう): The number of students refusing to attend school reached a record 353,970 (marking the 12th consecutive year of increase). Bullying is a recognized major factor leading to 不登校.
• Resolution Rate (解消率 - かいしょうりつ): Approximately 76.1% of reported bullying cases were recorded as "resolved" by the end of the school year.

Did You Know? Why Are Reported Cases Rising?

Exam Insight: If the total number of recognized cases is rising, does it mean Japanese children are becoming more cruel? Not necessarily!
MEXT explicitly explains that the increase in recognized cases is primarily due to proactive detection (積極的な認知) and increased awareness. Because teachers now take minor teasing and early-stage conflicts seriously through regular surveys, more cases are recorded and dealt with early before turning severe.

Key Takeaway: Link the high statistic of 769,022 cases to the policy of early discovery and mandatory reporting, not simply an increase in malicious behavior.

4. Modern Dynamics: ネットいじめ, 傍観者, and Mental Support

A. Cyberbullying: ネットいじめ (Net-ijime)

Bullying has increasingly moved from physical playgrounds to digital spaces.
Under Japan's GIGA School Program (GIGAスクール構想), every student is provided with an individual digital device (tablet or laptop). While this boosts digital literacy, it has also facilitated cyberbullying via social media (SNS), group chats, and anonymous message boards.
Why it is dangerous: Unlike classroom bullying, ネットいじめ is invisible to teachers and parents (見えにくい), follows students into their bedrooms 24/7, and can spread rumors instantly to a wide audience.

B. The Role of Bystanders: 傍観者 (ぼうかんしゃ)

In Japanese school culture, bullying rarely happens between just the bully (加害者 - かがいしゃ) and the victim (被害者 - ひがいしゃ). Japanese researchers emphasize the role of the four-tier structure (四層構造), especially:

• 傍観者 (Bōkansha - Bystanders): Students who see the bullying but stay silent out of fear of becoming the next target or due to strong conformity pressure (同調圧力 - どうちょうあつりょく).
• 仲裁者 (Chūsaisha - Defenders/Interveners): Current educational strategies focus heavily on empowering bystanders to speak up or report bullying safely, transforming them into defenders.

C. Mental Health Support: スクールカウンセラー (School Counselors)

To protect young people's mental health, the Japanese government has significantly increased funding for professional スクールカウンセラー (School Counselors) and スクールソーシャルワーカー (School Social Workers) to provide independent counselling inside schools.

Key Takeaway: Address the wider social ecosystem: ネットいじめ (digital platforms), 傍観者 (bystanders feeling peer pressure), and スクールカウンセラー (professional support systems).

5. Common Pitfalls to Avoid in the Exam

Examiner reports for 9JA0 frequently highlight these common mistakes. Make sure you don't fall into these traps!

Mistake 1: Mistranslating and Misunderstanding "不登校 (futōkō)"

Incorrect: Treating 不登校 as simple "truancy" or "skipping school to play with friends."
Correct: In the Japanese exam context, 不登校 refers to serious school refusal and non-attendance caused by psychological pain, anxiety, and bullying. It is treated as a major mental health and educational issue.

Mistake 2: Making Generic Statements Without Japanese Context

Incorrect: Writing broadly about bullying in general without referencing Japanese cultural dynamics or legal measures.
Correct: Connect bullying to Japanese cultural factors like 同調圧力 (conformity pressure / peer pressure), the desire to maintain group harmony (和を乱さない), and the official measures introduced under the 2013 Bullying Prevention Act.

Mistake 3: Stating That Bullying Has Only Grown Worse

Incorrect: Stating that schools are doing nothing because the numbers are at record highs.
Correct: Explain the nuance: while serious situations (重大事態 - 1,405 cases) and school refusal (不登校 - 353,970 students) remain critical challenges, total reported numbers (769,022) also reflect stricter recording standards and proactive early intervention (76.1% resolution rate).

6. Essential Vocabulary & Kanji Builder

Master these core terms for reading comprehension, listening tracks, and speaking discussions:

• いじめ防止対策推進法 (いじめぼうしたいさくすいしんほう): Bullying Prevention Promotion Act (2013)
• 被害者 (ひがいしゃ): Victim
• 加害者 (かがいしゃ): Perpetrator / Bully
• 傍観者 (ぼうかんしゃ): Bystander
• 仲裁者 (ちゅうさいしゃ): Mediator / Defender
• 重大事態 (じゅうだいじたい): Serious situation / Severe incident
• 不登校 (ふとうこう): School refusal / Non-attendance (due to mental distress)
• ネットいじめ: Cyberbullying
• 同調圧力 (どうちょうあつりょく): Peer pressure / Conformity pressure
• スクールカウンセラー: School Counselor
• アンケート調査 (アンケートちょうさ): Questionnaire survey (for early detection)
• 早期発見・早期対応 (そうきはっけん・そうきたいおう): Early detection and early response

7. Quick Review: High-Impact Sentence Frames for Paper 2 & Paper 3

Use these high-level grammatical structures to express analytical thoughts in Japanese:

1. Expressing the legal definition:
2013年の「いじめ防止対策推進法」によると、いじめは加害者の意図ではなく、被害者の視点で判断されます。
(According to the 2013 Bullying Prevention Promotion Act, bullying is judged from the standpoint of the victim, not the perpetrator's intention.)

2. Explaining the rise in statistics:
いじめの認知件数が増加している理由は、学校が早期発見のために積極的にアンケート調査を行っているからです。
(The reason recognized cases of bullying are increasing is that schools are actively conducting questionnaire surveys for early detection.)

3. Discussing bystander culture & peer pressure:
日本の学校では、同調圧力のために傍観者になってしまう生徒が多いですが、彼らを仲裁者に変える取り組みが必要です。
(In Japanese schools, many students become bystanders due to conformity pressure, but initiatives are needed to turn them into defenders.)

4. Linking bullying to health and attendance:
いじめは若者の精神的な健康に深刻な影響を与え、不登校の大きな原因の一つになっています。
(Bullying has a severe impact on young people's mental health and is one of the major causes of school refusal.)