Missed SOS

Suicide of a low teenager broadly shocked the people in Japan. It was no about how or why he killed himself, but why his teacher could not help him, in spite of consecutive SOS being arrived from him. His classmates also had been recognized his isolation, but did nothing for him. School in Japan is not a safe and happy place for kids.

A thirteen-year-old mid-school student, Ryo Muramatsu, killed himself, rushing into running train early this month in Yahaba Town, Iwate. Few days after his death, his living will was found, in which he revealed his isolation and suffering from violence. “Want to die,” “I was hit and choked in my neck,” or “No call from my teacher. It was a message for help,” were some of the keywords in his letter.

The school had decided to collect information about the relationship among the students several times a year. However, the teachers could not find out what was going on around Muramatsu. Principal of the school attributed the responsibility to a class teacher of Muramatsu, saying “There was no report about him, and it was the class teacher who had read the note of Muramatsu.”

In the “Life Recording Report” of Muramatsu, he wrote that the had reached a tipping point and could not stand it, to which the class teacher made no reply. When he wrote that he determined the place to die, the class teacher replied “Let’s enjoy the school trip tomorrow.” Parents thought her management inappropriate.

It is possible that only the class teacher could save Muramatsu, because he had been appealing about his situation to her. “He had been sending the sign to the teacher, I think he wanted more to be helped by her than me,” told Muramatsu’s father. She had not appeared to the public after the incident was revealed.

The government of Japan has been making efforts to deter suicide with school isolation and bullying. Bullying Prevention and Management Law, enacted two years ago, demands that teacher has to report and share the problem with other teachers in school, when he or she was consulted about problem by student. But as soon as a problem was reported and shared by all teachers, the problem will be hidden to the underground. Government had no remedy for the isolation of kids.

It is the society what has to be reformed to protect life of kids. It is needed that each adult recognizes kids as treasure of their future and thinks about them as if they were their own children. Without change of mind of each member of society, there will no help for isolated students.