Article January 1, 2002 Issue

“Do you really know Yuki?”

by Yurimi Ishikawa—Tokyo, Japan

There have been cases in Japan, of teens who have committed suicide because they were bullied. I feel so sad when I hear such news. And I think bullying can be prevented — and suicide can, too.

In my second year of junior high school, there was a girl who was rejected by some of the other students. Let me call her “Yuki.” Yuki is Japanese, but she was considered a “returnee child,” because she spent most of her childhood in England. She had an excellent command of English and I think the other students were a bit jealous of her.

I hadn't been particularly close to Yuki, but she suddenly tried to be friends with me. Then some other girls in the class said Yuki was arrogant and spiteful, and that I shouldn't get close to her. They thought I should stick with them instead. And I realized that I was sort of avoiding her because she seemed cold, and when I spoke with her I always felt nervous and exhausted.

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