Covert

Hi again everyone,

One doesn't know whether to cheer on the Japanese girl in the following
story, or weep for her. Perhaps both.

I share the following brief article that appeared yesterday in a Japanese
newspaper not out any kind of shock value, but just to let folks know the
truth of what is happening here in Japan. I apologize in advance if
posting this particular story offends anyone's sensibilities.

At the same time, I fear this kind of situation is only the tip of the
iceberg where public education in Japan is concerned. Hardly a day goes
by these days without this kind of depressing story appearing in the
Japanese media about severely traumatized schoolchildren.

The only thing left to wonder is: How many other emotionally traumatized
Japanese schoolchildren are out there who *never* get their stories into
the papers?

Brian Covert
(KnoK NEWS)
in Osaka, Japan

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[Mainichi Daily News - Thursday, October 5, 2000]
http://www.mainichi.co.jp/english/news/news08.html


Balding 12-yr.-old sues over school bullying


TAKATSUKI, Osaka -- A 12-year-old schoolgirl has filed a 115 million yen
suit against a former classmate's parents and her school, claiming she
lost all her hair due to stress brought about by bullying.

The bully allegedly began teasing her and pulling her hair in April 1998,
when they were fourth graders. In July of the same year, she began losing
her hair on her head -- and all of it, plus her eyebrows, came off around
November.

Her doctor said these were symptoms of a disease called intractable
multiple alopecia areata and that it may have been caused by stress.

Fearing further hassling, she always stayed at the nurse's office
throughout the third trimester at school. The bullying stopped when the
next school year began as the boy was sent to a different class.

But the scars of the alleged bullying remain. Part of her hair is still
missing, and her doctor says there is a possibility it will not grow again.


(c) 2000 The Mainichi Newspapers Co.