The number of incidents of violence at public junior high and high schools surpassed 10,000 in fiscal 1996, the highest total since the survey was started in 1983, according to an Education Ministry report released Monday.
According to the survey, 8,169 incidents occurred in junior high schools and 2,406 cases were reported in high schools, with the total rising 31.7 percent from 1995. School violence was reported in 17.7 percent of public junior high schools and 22 percent of public high schools.
Over 62 percent of these cases were incidents of violence between students, about 15 percent were against teachers and over 22 percent involved objects. The report reveals that violence against teachers in junior high schools increased by 48.2 percent.
This increase indicates that the respect once awarded to teachers has faded, a ministry official said. The report also shows that violence against teachers did not rise significantly in high schools but violence involving objects rose by 55.8 percent from the year before.
The survey also shows that the number of bullying cases at public schools totaled 51,544 in fiscal 1996, down 8,554 from the previous year. Bullying was reported at 27 percent of public elementary schools, 52 percent of junior high schools and 36 percent of high schools, according to the survey.
The figures for 1996 were 34 percent for elementary schools, 58 percent for junior highs and 40 percent for high schools.