The Systemic Approach to Understanding Bullying in Japan

This is a discussion paper and not an empirical paper. We hope to stimulate thought about the way in which the different subsystems within Japanese society might have been effecting one another's beliefs and actions in relation to the issue of ijime(Japanese bullying). The theory underpinning this discussion is systems theory. We will start by outlining some basic principles form this theory. We will finish by pulling these two sections together by asking questions about the possible effects of different groups in Japanese society on one another-groups such as the schools, families, the media, the government , the public and the broader education system in which individual schools are based.