(English is not my first language, i’m sorry for grammar and spelling error)
The context:
Yesterday, i was in the train and after some time, i heard a slapping sound next to me. I looked and i saw a father and his son (around 5 yo i think).
I was really chocked and started listening to them. The father was doing what it seems school work and was asking his child questions (like, wich house on the drawing have window on the left side, or things like that)
The father berated his child for not answering fast enough, or for answering wrong. He even said: “the next time you got it wrong, i punch you”.
I was really chocked and didn’t know what to do. I could not let someone punch a kid, so i listen to them to intervene if it happen (eventually, he didn’t punch his kid on the train). And even if he didn’t punch him, he slapped him and was berating him all the time they were on the train.
I know it’s too late for this kid, and i feel terrible for not doing anything but i don’t know what i could do. In the case it happen again what can i do ? Is corporal punisment legal in Japan ?
12 comments
Sad to say, any intervention on your part that makes that abuser lose face will just make him hurt the child more.
Mind your business and don’t do anything. While in Rome do as the Romans do
Do nothing.
Well it’s a tough one.
There is no clear guideline to what is safe corporal punishment and while it is highly frowned upon here, it isn’t outright illegal. Edit: I guess it is illegal on paper but probably de facto OK since few get in trouble for it.
But in general, corporal punishment shouldn’t be on the head, torso, shouldn’t be done with objects, shouldn’t be “excessive” in strength, etc.
Did the kid start crying or look seriously traumatized?
If none of the above happened, it may be best to let go. But ultimately if you do legit feel there is a danger to the kid, you could try to make a report to the children welfare department. If you can get an approximate description, what time, what train it happened, even if there is a school name logo on any of the kid’s bags.
Corporal punishment of children has been illegal in Japan since April 2020. You can call the police and report the abuse, and police or station staff will meet the train at the next station.
This won’t end well for all parties involved if you get involved. Let it be.
The kid wasn’t crying? And you didn’t actually witness a strike? I don’t know what you could do in such a situation. I can’t imagine the police being willing to act based on the information provided.
Sadly, people like that are nearly impossible to educate directly.
You have to become their friend to do anything. And to do that you have make them feel comfortable and confident in their intelligence.
In that case you might ask where the got his Ph.D. in childhood education without putting contempt in your voice. Start a friendship. Over time you can send him videos of kids learning through fun and if you can find it, how they fail to learn through threats.
Its a hell of a lot of work, but what else is there really?
Sad to say, but Japan saw a record high of 207,000 child abuse cases in 2022.
The child abuse law has recently been revised to ban parents from physically punishing children and to give the ability to child welfare centers to separate the child from the abuser.
If you suspect there’s a child abuse, call the hotline at 189.
If your Japanese is not up to speed, ask someone for help, they may have an interpreter on board but IMHO the better is your (or your friend’s) Japanese the better are the chances they do act on your call.
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/189-ichihayaku/
[deleted]
As a parent it certainly would not be welcomed. Even if you are right.
If you really want to get involved, and you are nearby, you could ask a super-simple question of the father, like what is the next station. Father feels good for answering right (I hope), and you’ve given the kid a few seconds of break. And, he knows he’s not alone on the train — he’s aware other people are aware of him.
It could end with him telling you off . . . but that also gets his attention away from the kid, if you can stand the uncomfortableness.