TOKYO, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- A record high of over 320,000 school bullying cases were recognized in the 2016 academic year, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology said on Thursday.
A total of 323,808 bullying cases were recognized in the year through March at elementary, junior high and high schools, up 43.8 percent from a year earlier and rising for the third straight year, according to a survey by the ministry.
The number of bullying cases at elementary schools was especially notable, with the figure jumping 1.5 fold to 237,921. The number at junior high schools also reached a record high of 71,309, up by 11,807.
Among the types of bullying, ridicule and slander accounted for 62.5 percent of the total. Other cases involved lightly bumping and striking, imposing isolation, and online bullying using computers or mobile phones.
A total of 400 cases at 374 schools were considered "serious" with the children bullied suffering significant damages in health, mind or property, according to the survey.
Some 25,699 schools, or 68.3 percent of the total, said they had recognized bullying cases, according to the survey, while the ministry warned there might still have been overlooked cases in other schools.
