Reading When Classmates Become Victims
Teasing and bullying are major concerns in schools. Some people would say that it is an essential part of growing up. They may say that teasing and bullying are a way of learning how to deal with the reality of society. The truth, however, is that teasing and bullying are forms of behaviour that harm children. Society cannot allow people to be treated badly, especially not in schools.

Parents tell their children to remember that "sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me", but in fact, words can hurt as much as physical violence. Teasing is a form of making fun of somebody. It can be aimed at friends, but repeated over a long period of time it tends to be harmful. Bullying is physical or verbal violence against others. The purpose of bullying is to make the victim feel weak and afraid. Students who become the victims of bullying are usually different from everyone else. They can be hurt because of their physical weakness, mental weakness or inability to defend themselves. Being bullied and teased by classmates can turn life at school into a terrible time.

Research shows that both boys and girls can become victims of bullying in equal numbers. In a recent survey 295 students were asked about teasing and bullying. To the question "Have you ever been teased?" 65% of the students answered "Yes", 16% "No" and another 19% filled in "Not sure". Asked how often they were being teased, 19% of the students said that this happened once a week, while 8% said they were teased and bullied every day.

There are people who say that teasing and bullying are normal, and do not cause any damages in the long term. Although these behaviours are common, they do affect the victims greatly. The experience stays with them for life, and may cause all kinds of social problems at a later age. Some students cannot deal with being teased and bullied, so they drop out of school. The students who do the bullying will carry their behaviour into adult life as well. In some cases it leads to a criminal record.
SCHOOL THREATENS THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF JAPANESE STUDENTS
Every young person probably feels "down" from time to time when things appear to go wrong at school, at home, with family or friends -- feelings that "when it rains, it pours" and that "life isn't fair". These feelings can become real problems when teenagers are worrying about competitions, grades, friendships or discrimination.

The time at high school is often a period of confusing and demanding conflicts. In their struggle for independence, teenagers have to discover their own identity. It seems that teenagers experience more loneliness than other age groups. The position of youth in today's society may contribute that. They are neither children nor adults. Students who struggle with their sexual identity may develop feelings of loneliness and depression. Failure at school can lead to disappointment in life and fear about the future. At the same time, success at school may lead to unrealistic social expectations, while a lack of meaning or challenge can make them feel bored.

One of the greatest problems in Asian students is the expectations of their parents about getting good results at school and going to university. The pressure on students can lead to grave problems and depression, while failure may even lead to students killing themselves. Problems of this kind are especially known to Japan, where suicide rates among students are high in comparison with other countries.

Almost a quarter of junior high school students in Tokyo who responded to a recent survey suffered from conditions related to depression, with almost one in five admitting to sometimes thinking of killing themselves. In Japan, primary school lasts six years and junior high school three years. Many boys and girls said they felt they could not perform tasks well and lacked self-confidence.
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