Amid a rise in youth violence in the country, two government research institutes will launch a joint study into the backgrounds of youths who commit impulsive acts of violence, government sources said Thursday.
Starting in November, the Education Ministry's National Institute for Educational Research and the Health and Welfare Ministry's Institute for Public Health will select about 100 cases of youth violence and study the backgrounds of those involved. It is the first study of its kind by the government.
The two organizations will interview parents and teachers to probe the backgrounds of the children for possible causes of violent behavior, the sources said.
It is hoped that the survey, results of which are to be released to the public by the end of 2001, will suggest ways to combat youth violence in homes and schools, they said.
Educational psychologists, public health experts, pediatricians, psychiatrists, teachers and parent representatives are expected to form a team to carry out the survey and analyze the results.
The survey will cover juvenile trial records, police reports, as well as school and family environments, they said, adding that privacy will be assured.
More than 36,000 cases of violence by students at public elementary, junior high and high schools were reported outside of school in Japan in the year that ended March 31, according to the ministries.
Recent high-profile cases include a 17-year-old high school student in Okayama Prefecture arrested for killing his mother with a baseball bat on June 21, and a 15-year-old high school student who broke into a neighbor's house and assaulted six people, killing three, on Aug. 14 in Oita Prefecture.