Lecture Notes: Bullying in East Asia

Introduction

• Bullying in East Asia is perceived as a significant issue.
• News headlines and media often emphasize the severity of bullying in Korea, China, and Japan.
• However, 90% of people might have the wrong perception about it.
• Discuss why these perceptions may be skewed.

Understanding Bullying

• Types of Bullying: Physical, Verbal, Relational
  • Examples vary culturally: West (Physical), East (Verbal/Relational)
• Definitions
  • Western: Repeated intentional actions causing distress, with power imbalance.
  • Eastern terms (for bullying) include:
    • Korea: 왕따 (wang-tta) - King of exclusion, emphasizing group dynamics.
    • Japan: いじめ (ijime) - Aggressive behavior in group settings.
    • China: 欺负 (qīfù) - Power imbalance, act of embarrassment/intimidation.

Cultural and Historical Context

• Collectivist vs. Individualist Societies
  • East Asia: Collectivist, group bonds, high conformity (e.g., Japan's "nail that sticks out gets hammered down").
• Historical Bullying Cases in Japan
  • 1986, 1994, 2006-2007: Tragic bullying incidents leading to societal panic.
  • Government response: 2013 Bullying Prevention Promotion Act.

Media Influence and Public Perception

• East Asia: Bullying depicted frequently in media (dramas, anime, etc.).
• West: Less media emphasis, individual psychological issues highlighted.
• Impact on Celebrities: Bullying allegations can end careers in East Asia.

Social Theories and Reporting Differences

• Interdependent vs. Independent Control of Self
  • East Asians: Identity tied to social relationships; societal problems seen as collective failings.
  • Westerners: Identity tied to individual attributes; societal problems seen as individual failings.
• Media Case Study Comparisons
  • East Asia: Emphasizes relationship failures (e.g., student-teacher conflicts).
  • West: Emphasizes individual faults (e.g., mentally unstable perpetrator).

Rates of Bullying: Data and Reality Check

• International Data (PISA and TIMMS)
  • Findings show Japan, Korea, and regions in China have some of the lowest rates of reported bullying.
  • Discrepancy between perception and data.
• Cultural Reporting Bias
  • Reports often reflect cultural biases, potentially influencing international perceptions.

Final Takeaways

• Bullying is still a big issue in East Asia but not necessarily worse than in other parts of the world.
• Societal and cultural reactions to bullying are more pronounced in East Asia.
• Need for global awareness and understanding of cultural context when interpreting social issues like bullying.

Conclusion

• Highlight importance of interpreting data and reports with cultural context in mind.
• Encourage discussions on bullying perceptions and reality.
• Promote understanding that bullying should be taken seriously everywhere, not just in East Asia.