Viral bullying clips, mass murder threat sound alarm in Japan over school violence

Recent viral clips in Japan of bullying, including one which later led to a mass murder revenge threat, have sparked concerns in the country about school violence.The latest case centres on an email message sent to the board of education in Oita city, in Kyushu, at 11pm on January 11 warning of an imminent attack.“On Thursday, January 15, I will intrude into the junior high school where the bullying video spread, together with several accomplices, and carry out a mass killing of students and teachers,” the message read, though the threat did not materialise on the day.The education authority alerted prefectural police, with additional officers stationed at the school last week. Classes went ahead as normal after the three-day weekend but after-school events were cancelled. The sender of the mail has not been identified.The mail arrived three days after the board confirmed it was investigating a minute-long video clip that was shared online showing a student in sports clothing assaulting another schoolmate. The footage shows the assailant jumping on the other student, punching him and kicking his head as he is on the floor.Experts say incidents of violence are rising in Japanese schools and caution that official statistics are almost certainly short of the actual number of cases. Photo: ShutterstockThe same day, the education authority and police in Tochigi prefecture, north of Tokyo, opened an investigation into a similar incident that occurred on December 19. Video footage, again shared on social media, showed a male student punching another student in a school bathroom and hitting him in the face.