"Monthly 10,000 Won School Violence Insurance Sees Surge in Japanese Subscribers... Support for Lawyer Fees and More"

Japan's Largest Liability Insurer Tokio Marine Sells 'Ijime Insurance'
Collecting School Violence Evidence and Compensation... "Reflects Distrust in Schools"

[Image source=Pixabay]

In Japan, where issues such as group bullying (ijime) and school violence emerged earlier than in Korea, an insurance product that compensates victims of school violence has been introduced.

According to multiple Japanese media outlets on the 11th, Tokyo Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, Japan's largest non-life insurance company, plans to sell the so-called 'Ijime Insurance.' Ijime refers to violence or bullying among youths within schools in Japan.

'Ijime Insurance' compensates policyholders within certain limits for lawyer fees, psychological counseling costs, and new school uniform expenses after transferring schools, in case they become victims of school violence. Additionally, if it is determined that a child has been victimized, the insurance company provides contact with recommended counseling lawyers who can offer advice on evidence collection and negotiation methods with the school. The insurance premium ranges from 1,000 to 4,000 yen per month (approximately 10,000 to 40,000 KRW), depending on the coverage.

Experts say that to resolve the ijime problem, perpetrators must acknowledge the bullying early on. However, since schools and perpetrators often do not admit to the bullying, most cases remain unresolved and are delayed indefinitely.

'Ijime Insurance' appears to have been established to prevent such issues. It is also pointed out that this reflects the deep-rooted distrust of educational institutions within Japanese society. Komori Midori, director of the civic group 'Gentle Heart Project,' stated, "When schools fail to respond properly or conceal problems, parents lose trust in the schools and seek lawyers."

Previously, a similar product was sold by another Japanese insurance company, and the number of subscribers reportedly increased 7.3 times this year compared to the first year of launch. With Japan's largest non-life insurer now offering a school violence product, it is attracting attention as to whether it will influence other companies as well.

Meanwhile, in Japan in 2021, a sixth-grade student at an elementary school in Tokyo left a suicide note saying, "I am not your toy," and took their own life, causing a social uproar. According to reports, perpetrators continuously sent abusive messages such as "Go die" to the victim via tablets distributed by the school for learning purposes. Classmates watched this online but no one actively intervened.

According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's 'Problem Behavior and School Refusal Survey,' the number of recognized ijime cases in Japan last year was 615,351, the highest ever recorded. This was influenced by a 16% increase in online bullying using smartphones and other devices compared to the previous year. In particular, online ijime among elementary school students increased 2.6 times, a sharp rise compared to middle and high school students (1.3 to 1.4 times).