Japanese junior high student chokes elementary school boy and throws him into sea as school violence video on SNS sparks outrage

According to The Financial News, a series of videos showing indiscriminate violence among students in Japan have recently been posted on social networking service (SNS) platforms. In the latest case, a junior high school student was captured choking an elementary school boy and pushing him into the sea, fueling controversy.
On the 20th, local media including Sankei Shimbun reported that the Osaka City Board of Education is verifying the facts behind the school violence video that has been widely shared on SNS. The board is investigating whether the case falls under a "serious bullying incident" as defined by relevant law. The Osaka Prefectural Police have also begun taking action, including notifying a local child consultation center about the male students involved as perpetrators.
The video in question shows junior high school students in Osaka City inflicting potentially life-threatening violence on a single elementary school boy.
In the footage, student A, a junior high school boy, stands behind elementary school student B, who is smaller in build, and tightly locks his arm around B’s neck. The victim appears on the verge of tears and pleads in pain. Other junior high school students present do not intervene; instead, they film the scene with their phones and mock the situation, saying things like, "Isn't that going too far?" and "Let him go just once," while laughing.
When A finally releases his arm, B wipes away his tears with his hand. In another video, a boy wearing the same clothes as B is seen flailing in the seawater after falling in. While B’s face is blurred in the footage, the faces of A, the alleged perpetrator, and the other boys filming the scene are clearly visible.
Rumors have also spread that A’s father is the head of a company based in Osaka. As speculation grew, a manufacturer of children’s school bags whose name resembles that of the rumored company posted a notice on its official website stating, "We have no connection with this matter."
The Osaka Prefectural Police received a tip about the incident in November last year and questioned the students involved, including A. Taking into account that they are "juvenile offenders" under the age of 14 and therefore not subject to criminal punishment, the police decided to refer the case to a child consultation center.
The Osaka City Board of Education had already been aware of the case and was conducting its own inquiry even before the video spread widely. The board stated, "We are placing top priority on ensuring the safety and psychological stability of the victimized child, and we are also providing appropriate guidance to the students responsible." It added, "As the video spreads, B is suffering mental distress and other forms of secondary harm."
Japan has recently seen a series of serious school violence cases exposed through SNS. On the 4th of this month, a video went viral showing indiscriminate assault between students in a high school restroom in Tochigi Prefecture, while many other students watched the scene like a mixed martial arts match and cheered.
Soon after, another one-minute video from a junior high school in Oita Prefecture was posted on SNS, showing a student in a hallway grabbing a classmate by the hair, throwing the victim to the floor, and repeatedly kicking and punching him. Education authorities have launched an investigation into that case as well.
As the situation worsened, the central government also stepped in. On the 14th, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) convened an emergency meeting of boards of education nationwide and instructed them, "Within this semester, identify any unreported cases of school violence at each school through surveys, counseling, and other means." MEXT also urged, "Respond with the utmost priority on the safety of students who are victims of school violence," and added, "Because exposure via SNS can lead to further human rights violations, schools must also provide education on internet ethics."

hsg@fnnews.com Reporter Han Seung-gon Reporter