Suicides Among Japanese Children Reach Highest Level in 3 Decades :: WRAL.com

By Motoko Rich and Makiko Inoue, New York Times

TOKYO – Suicides by young people in Japan rose to their highest level in three decades in 2017, according to new figures released by the government.

Japan has a persistent problem with suicides, declining overall. But child suicides have risen recently, with experts pointing to school pressures and bullying as likely triggers.

Last year 250 children in elementary, high school and high school committed suicide, the highest number since 1986, according to the education ministry.

According to the Education Ministry survey of schools, most of the students do not leave Of those who did, the most frequently cited reason was worries over what path to take after graduation. Other reasons included family problems and bullying.

A separate survey by Japan's Cabinet Office in 2015 found that suicides among children tend to spike on Sept. 1, speculating that students felt more stressed after the summer break. According to the Welfare Ministry, suicide was the leading cause of death last year among 15- to 19-year-olds.

Although child suicide is not a single problem in Japan, it is difficult for children and adolescents who are depressed or anxious to seek help.

"In Japan," said Vickie Skorji, director of the crisis hotline at TELL, "has counseling and crisis intervention service in Tokyo. "You're more likely to get bullied, and less likely to get support and understanding from your parents."

Some experts say that children do not receive as much support from family as they might have in the past. While several generations of a family used to live together, such arrangements are less common now.

"I think support networks for children have been weakening," said Yoshitomo Takahashi, a professor and psychiatrist at Tsukuba University. "Now, we can not expect the same thing from families that we used to expect. We can not expect parents or grandparents to provide support. And in this situation, children remain alone. "

Experts say that schools are in the mainstream of mental health, and in general, education is not a problem.

"Teachers are busy," said Yuki Kubota, professor of clinical psychology at Kyushu Sangyo University.

Over the summer, a junior high school in Aomori, in northern Japan, 2016, the suicide of a 13-year-old girl, Rima Kasai. In a report about suicide, the school said that it had been relocated to individual teachers to respond to the bullying that the situation