In Sakai, Osaka, a tragic case has been brought back into public attention. A junior high school girl who died by suicide in 2019 had previously been recognized as having a reason for her school refusal, which was due to bullying. At the time, a third-party committee acknowledged a connection between the bullying and her school refusal but concluded that a direct causal link to her death could not be determined. However, new evidence has now emerged. Messages discovered on the student’s smartphone, sent just weeks before her death, reportedly included repeated phrases such as “die” and “I want to end it all.” Following the discovery of these messages, Sakai City has decided to reopen the investigation to reassess whether bullying may have had a stronger connection to the tragedy than previously concluded. This development forces us to confront a painful reality that words can lead to a devastating consequence, even to the extent that a student can die.
Many bullying situations begin with something dismissed as humor. Someone laughs. Others join in. The target may even force a smile. But laughter does not always mean something is harmless. If a comment humiliates, isolates, or repeatedly targets the same person, it stops being a joke. The difference between friendly teasing and bullying lies in impact, not intent. Even if harm was not intended, the damage can still occur. Changing culture starts with individual choices. Each message we send, each comment we make, each reaction we give shapes the environment others experience. Since messages and words are more relevant to us students than before, we should be more aware of the words we choose to say, and the possibility that the words we use could harm people.
