School bullying not only harms children’s physical and emotional well-being, but can also have lasting effects on their learning, self-identity, and future development. Therefore, reducing bullying in schools is an urgent and critical issue. On November 4, 2025, the Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF) hosted the “School Bullying Prevention Forum: Building a Safe and Inclusive Learning Environment through Multidisciplinary Collaboration”. The forum featured Yuji Sunaga (須永祐慈), Deputy Director of the Japanese nonprofit organization Stop Bullying! Navi (ストップいじめ！ナビ), who shared his organization’s valuable experience and insights from years of anti-bullying work in Japan.

The forum was held online and brought together 93 participants, including child-serving professionals from NGOs, government agencies, and schools across Taiwan, as well as members of the public. The discussion was moderated by Yueh-Mi Lai (賴月蜜), Board Director of CWLF, with presentations by Ling-Ya Huan (黃鈴雅), Senior Manager of CWLF’s Central Taiwan Social Work Department, and Yuji Sunaga (須永祐慈), Deputy Director of Stop Bullying! Navi. The speakers shared insights from years of practice, research, and policy advocacy on bullying prevention in Taiwan and Japan. The Q&A session further explored key issues such as help-seeking pathways, cyberbullying, parent engagement, government system, school lawyer program, and teacher training.

Key Discussion Highlights (Click to jump to each section)

 I. CWLF Presentation Highlights: From Anti-Bullying Legislative Advocacy to Building Trauma-Informed Schools and Society

Ling-Ya Huang, Senior Manager of CWLF’s Central Taiwan Social Work Department, shared that as early as 2004, CWLF identified that many children were experiencing long-term bullying in schools through its Child Hotline Services. In response, CWLF translated the term “bullying” as霸凌 (ba-ling) and introduced it into Taiwanese society, providing a shared language to describe acts of harassment and oppression rooted in power imbalance among children. CWLF’s anti-bullying efforts have since focused on three key areas: legislative advocacy, school-based prevention and outreach services, and broader public education.

1. Legislative Advocacy

Since 2004, CWLF has conducted nationwide research on school bullying in Taiwan, carrying out nearly 20 surveys over the past two decades. These efforts have enabled CWLF to track trends in school environments and put forward evidence-based policy recommendations to the government. In July 2012, the government issued the Guidelines for the Prevention of School Bullying (校園霸凌防制準則), establishing formal mechanisms for how schools should respond to bullying incidents. As digital technologies and online platforms have expanded, CWLF’s long-term research on cyberbullying was also incorporated into the July 2020 policy revisions. Most recently, in April 2024, further amendments adopted CWLF’s advocacy for the trauma-informed approach and the guidance-first principle, emphasizing empathy-based responses to conflicts involving children.

2. School-Based Prevention and Outreach Services

CWLF places building child-friendly schools at the core of its anti-bullying services, recognizing that bullying often stems from children’s limited ability to manage emotions and a lack of mutual support within classrooms. To address this, CWLF has developed classroom-based programs for elementary school students, helping children build emotional regulation skills and better understand the experiences and feelings of different roles in bullying situations, including those who bully, those who are targeted, and bystanders.

CWLF also provides training programs for teachers, supporting them in understanding relevant anti-bullying regulations, applying social and emotional learning (SEL) approaches, and using trauma-informed perspectives and the 4F dialogue framework to guide children in resolving conflicts. In addition, CWLF has published a wide range of practical educational resources, including the Don’t Be Afraid of Bullying (霸凌不要怕) parent handbook, the Starting with Emotions (從情緒談起) teacher handbook, the Xiao Bu’s Adventure Journey (小咘的冒險之旅) board game, and the The Secret Classroom (秘密教室) picture book on bullying prevention.

3. Public Education

At the level of public education, CWLF works with corporate partners and uses a wide range of public advocacy channels to foster a social environment where bullying can be openly discussed and addressed. Since 2017, CWLF has partnered with companies on a long-term basis to advance the “I Have the Right to Be Free from Bullying” (我有我的霸免權) campaign, organizing initiatives such as the Mood Vending Machine, anti-bullying exhibitions, parent support programs, the “Stop Bullying at Your Fingertips” (停”指”霸凌) campaign, and the Odd Socks Day campaign.

In 2021, CWLF launched Taiwan’s first official anti-bullying LINE account (LINE is a widely used instant messaging app in Taiwan), enabling young people to seek help and chat directly with social workers online. Through these anti-bullying initiatives, CWLF has achieved a cumulative reach of millions of engagements nationwide and has received multiple international recognitions, including awards for corporate social responsibility and innovation.

II. Stop Bullying! Navi Presentation Highlights: Bullying Data Analysis, the Four-Tiered Structure of Bullying, Stress-Reduction Prevention, and Organizational Action

Yuji Sunaga, Deputy Director of Stop Bullying! Navi, presented an overview of the current situation of bullying and response measures in Japan. Founded in 2012, the organization emerged in the wake of a school bullying-related suicide in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, in 2011. The organization was initiated by a group of child advocates, including social commentators and lawyers, alongside individuals with lived experience of bullying and school refusal, with the core goal of improving the social conditions and school environments that give rise to bullying.

Over the past decade, Stop Bullying! Navi has advanced bullying prevention through research, policy advocacy, training programs, and cross-sector collaboration, and has become an information hub for child suicide prevention and mental health crisis response.

1. Bullying Data Analysis: Case Trends, Role Shifting, and Interpersonal Forms of Bullying

Data released by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) show a sharp increase in reported bullying cases following the enactment of the Act for the Promotion of Measures to Prevent Bullying (いじめ防止対策推進法) in 2011. However, Deputy Director Sunaga emphasized that this rise largely reflects expanded definitions of bullying, more proactive identification by schools, and heightened media coverage of serious incidents, rather than a true increase in prevalence.

In contrast, survey data from the National Institute for Educational Policy Research indicate that bullying trends have not fluctuated as dramatically as official figures suggest. Instead, the data reveal that a consistent proportion of children experience long-term victimization, underscoring that bullying remains a persistent issue that has yet to be fundamentally resolved.

In addition, a long-standing stereotype in Japanese society has been that those who are targeted by bullying remain victims indefinitely. Recent studies, however, show that the roles of those who bully and those who are targeted often shift over time, with individuals moving between these roles. This dynamic further complicates official identification and classification of bullying cases.

In terms of bullying patterns, Japan differs from many other countries in that bullying more commonly takes the form of interpersonal and communication-based behaviors rather than physical violence. Research indicates that more than 90 percent of children have experienced non-physical forms of bullying, such as social exclusion, being ignored, or having rumors spread about them.

2. The Four-Tiered Structure of Bullying and the Power of Bystanders

In discussions of school bullying in Japan, scholar Morita Yoji (森田洋司)’s Four-Tiered Structure Theory is widely used. This framework distinguishes four relational roles—those who bully, those who are targeted, followers who go along with the bullying, and bystanders—and emphasizes that bullying is not simply a two-person issue between a perpetrator and a victim, but a collective phenomenon shaped by the surrounding environment and social relationships.

Deputy Director Sunaga emphasized that changing the attitudes of followers and bystanders can help shift the overall environment and effectively curb bullying. Stop Bullying! Navi also recognizes that many bystanders remain silent out of fear of becoming the next target of bullying. In response, the organization has identified four concrete roles, allowing bystanders to choose actions that best fit their own situations:

• Reporters: Reporters truthfully relay what has happened to teachers or other trusted adults. To reduce the risk of retaliation, it is recommended that multiple students report the situation together and do so repeatedly, helping ensure that adults take the issue seriously and intervene early.
• Shelters: Shelters proactively reach out to children being targeted, offering connection and listening to their experiences. Even a single person expressing care and support can help the targeted child feel less alone and prevent them from being pushed into extreme distress.
• Switchers: Rather than directly confronting those who bully, switchers respond when the atmosphere feels uncomfortable by changing the topic or redirecting attention to other matters. By creating a classroom climate in which bullying feels uninteresting or unacceptable, they help reduce participation in or endorsement of bullying.
• Recorders: For children who feel uneasy but powerless to take action, recorders document bullying incidents in detail using a notebook or mobile phone, noting the time, location, people involved, behaviors, and their own feelings. These records can later serve as evidence, and the act of recording itself can also empower children to recognize their role in creating change.

3. Reducing Bullying by Addressing Sources of Stress

Drawing on practical experience, Deputy Director Sunaga noted that one of the core drivers of bullying lies in the many sources of stress present in children’s environments. Common sources of stress for children can be grouped into four main areas:

• School Environment-Related Stress: Stressors within school life include corporal punishment and overly harsh discipline, collective punishment, being forced to comply with outdated or unreasonable school rules (often referred to in Japan as “black school rules”), limited time for communication with teachers, excessive homework, abuse of authority and sexual harassment, and high-pressure demands from club or extracurricular activities.
• Peer Relationship-Related Stress: Within Japan’s culture of “reading the air”—closely monitoring social cues and others’ reactions—children often experience intense psychological pressure to constantly meet expectations, suppress their true feelings, and conform to specific social roles or personas. Children may also struggle with group norms, peer conflicts, prejudice and discrimination, school hierarchies, and competitive dynamics that reinforce status and superiority.
• Family Environment-Related Stress: Family-related stressors include family conflict, violence and verbal abuse, child abuse and neglect, educational pressure and coercion, economic hardship, lack of access to information, strained relationships with siblings and grandparents, extended family tensions, and the burden of serving as a young carer.
• Community and Societal Stress: Stress can also arise from community and societal factors such as local activities and festivals, neighborhood relationships, sports teams, after-school ca./re programs, enrichment classes, part-time work, online spaces and social media, as well as broader sources of anxiety related to infectious diseases such as COVID-19, natural disasters, and accidents.

These overlapping sources of stress can intensify social isolation and feelings of loneliness. To prevent bullying effectively, it is essential to identify these stressors and work toward creating everyday school and classroom environments that actively reduce pressure and support children’s well-being.

4. Stop Bullying! Navi’s Organizational Actions

To effectively prevent and respond to the challenges and harm caused by school bullying, Stop Bullying! Navi actively engages in research, policy advocacy, training programs, and cross-sector collaboration, with meaningful outcomes across multiple areas.

• Research and Investigation: In line with Japan’s Act for the Promotion of Measures to Prevent Bullying, Stop Bullying! Navi reviews how municipalities across Japan implement anti-bullying measures, including issues related to school rules and LGBTQ+ students, and publicly releases its findings. The organization also compiles domestic and international research on bullying, legal information, media coverage, and relevant data to serve as an evidence base for policy advocacy. In addition, it has partnered with local governments, such as Otsu City, on the design and analysis of bullying surveys, laying the groundwork for what have become model cases for bullying prevention in Japan.
• Policy Advocacy: Stop Bullying! Navi has provided recommendations to the government during discussions surrounding the enactment of the Act on Promotion of Measures to Prevent Bullying, as well as at the establishment of Japan’s Children and Families Agency (こども家庭庁). At the local level, the organization has also contributed to the development of Otsu City’s Basic Policy on Bullying Prevention and its Online Dispute Manual.
• Training and Capacity Building: The organization conducts workshops and training sessions for schools and teachers, explaining educators’ legal responsibilities and response measures in bullying prevention, while offering practical guidance on creating low-stress classroom environments. It also convenes dialogue sessions for media professionals to address concerns around sensationalized reporting on bullying and suicide and to discuss responsible reporting practices. In addition, Stop Bullying! Navi delivers lectures and talks for government agencies, civil society groups, community representatives, and the general public to promote anti-bullying principles and practice.
• Cross-Sector Collaboration: Stop Bullying! Navi collaborates with other nonprofit organizations, including supporting data analysis for Japan’s Childline service centers. The organization also participates in meetings and seminars with social media companies including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, contributing to the development and implementation of risk prevention and safety features.

Having personally experienced bullying and school refusal during childhood, Deputy Director Sunaga continues to advance anti-bullying efforts through both his personal commitment and organizational leadership. He encouraged forum participants by reminding them: “We may not be able to eliminate bullying entirely, but there are still many, many ways to reduce it.”

III.  Q&A Highlights: Help-Seeking Pathways, Cyberbullying, Parent Engagement, Government System, School Lawyer Program, and Teacher Training

During the forum’s Q&A session, Yueh-Mi Lai, Board Director of CWLF, synthesized questions raised by participants and facilitated discussion with the speakers. The exchange covered several key themes, including the following:

1. The Impact of Digital Culture on Help-Seeking Behavior:

As digital devices and online communication have become increasingly prevalent, practical experience in Taiwan shows that children are more accustomed to communicating through text-based messages. Deputy Director Sunaga noted that a similar trend has emerged in Japan, where help-seeking via text or chat has risen significantly in recent years, while the number of phone consultations has declined.

One advantage of text-based communication is that children may find it easier to express their feelings directly and get to the core of their concerns—for example, opening a conversation by stating, “I want to die.” By contrast, phone calls often require a longer period of conversation before children feel ready to speak openly. However, a key challenge of text-based support is that professionals must assess a child’s emotional state and well-being without vocal cues or visual context, making interpretation more difficult. Deputy Director Sunaga therefore suggested offering diverse and flexible support options—including text, phone, and in-person communication—so that children can choose the channel in which they feel safest, based on their situation and needs.

2. Cyberbullying and Its Online-Offline Overlap

Research shows that a high proportion of children who experience cyberbullying are also bullied in their offline school lives. Cyberbullying therefore should not be treated as a separate issue in isolation. Instead, responses must take into account the way bullying operates across both online and real-world settings, where the two often overlap and reinforce each other.

In recent years, one increasingly common but less visible form of cyberbullying in Japan involves posting derogatory comments about a targeted child in LINE profile status messages and discussing them within closed groups, making it difficult for the affected child to become aware of the abuse in a timely manner. Deputy Director Sunaga noted that the principles for responding to this type of cyberbullying are similar to those applied to offline bullying. Bystanders and those who are targeted should be encouraged to take screenshots, document incidents as evidence, and report them to trusted adults. As with other forms of bullying, the key lies in creating a classroom environment in which children feel safe and willing to speak up.

3. Challenges and Strategies for Parent Engagement

In Japan, when children experience bullying, parents typically seek help first from teachers and schools. If the issue remains unresolved, they may then turn to local boards of education or the MEXT. When these avenues fail to meet their needs, parents’ frustration and anger can accumulate, eventually escalating into confrontations between parents and the education system. As a result, attention may shift away from the child, undermining the original purpose of addressing the bullying.

To address this challenge, Deputy Director Sunaga emphasized the importance of providing multiple, accessible information and support channels to offer early engagement and reassurance for parents. Stop Bullying! Navi works to strengthen communication and outreach with families by delivering talks at Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings and providing training for Childline counselors, helping ensure that parents receive timely guidance and support.

4. The Role of Japan’s Children and Families Agency in Addressing Bullying

In 2023, the Japanese government established the Children and Families Agency as a central-level authority dedicated to children and families, including a division focused on preventing bullying and school refusal. Participants from Taiwan were keen to learn whether Stop Bullying! Navi collaborates with the agency on bullying-related issues and how the organization views the practical impact of this governmental reform on bullying prevention.

Drawing on his organization’s experience interacting with the agency, Deputy Director Sunaga explained that while the Children and Families Agency does include a department addressing bullying and school refusal, primary decision-making authority and responsibility still lie with the MEXT. This division of responsibility presents structural challenges. In addition, officials from the Children and Families Agency often face limitations in directly entering schools to observe and assess on-the-ground bullying conditions.

That said, Deputy Director Sunaga also noted that officials at the Children and Families Agency differ from traditional civil servants in important ways. Many come from professional backgrounds in the private or nonprofit sectors and bring with them practical, field-based perspectives and experience. Whether the agency will ultimately fulfill the expectations placed upon it remains to be seen, he concluded, adding that future developments warrant close attention.

5. The School Lawyer Program and Its Role

Regarding the school lawyer program promoted by Stop Bullying! Navi, participants from Taiwan expressed concern that involving lawyers might lead schools, parents, and children to resort to legal confrontation, potentially escalating conflicts. In response, Deputy Director Sunaga clarified that school lawyers in Japan are not intended to initiate litigation or bring cases to court. Instead, they serve as mediators, applying legal expertise to explore constructive, child-centered ways to resolve bullying issues and to facilitate multiple layers of dialogue between those who bully and those who are targeted, thereby helping to de-escalate conflicts within schools.

Moderator Yueh-Mi Lai also noted that Taiwan’s Guidelines for the Prevention of School Bullying already incorporate concepts such as mediation procedures and restorative justice, which similarly emphasize resolving conflicts through professional facilitation. In this regard, she observed, the role of school lawyers in Japan shares important parallels with Taiwan’s current approach.

6. Dialogue-Based Teacher Training

As frontline professionals responding to school bullying, teachers face significant challenges and pressure while also managing heavy teaching and administrative workloads. For this reason, participants from Taiwan asked what kinds of measures could be incorporated into school-based teacher training to strengthen educators’ awareness of and capacity for bullying prevention.

Deputy Director Sunaga suggested that teacher training does not always need to rely on invited experts delivering lectures on campus. In many cases, dialogue-based workshops may be more meaningful and effective. Such formats create space for teachers to share the challenges they encounter, voice their concerns and uncertainties, exchange practical response strategies, and even reflect on their personal visions—such as the kind of teacher they hope to become or the type of classroom environment they wish to foster. These interactive and reflective training approaches, he emphasized, are critical to strengthening educators’ ability to recognize and address bullying.

IV. Closing Remarks and Anti-Bullying Resources

CWLF was honored to welcome Stop Bullying! Navi to share insights on bullying prevention with professionals and members of the public in Taiwan, and to engage in in-depth dialogue on the current situations and response strategies in both Taiwan and Japan. As Deputy Director Sunaga reminded us, there is still much that all of us can do to address bullying.

CWLF warmly invites government agencies, nonprofit organizations, educators, parents, students, and all members of the public who care about children’s well-being to make use of and help share the following resources:

• Online Course: A Must-Take Course for Parents—Building Children’s Anti-Bullying Superpowers
  https://reurl.cc/vp8MYj
• CWLF Publication: Looking at Children’s Hearts, Issue 7—The Path of Anti-Bullying Toward Zero Violence Schools
  https://lihi.cc/vGWEh

• Anti-Bullying Board Game: Xiao Bu’s Adventure Journey
  https://www.yina.org.tw/product/detail/0/870

• Anti-Bullying Picture Book: The Secret Classroom
  https://antibullying.children.org.tw/activity/video/1221

The success of bullying prevention lies in steady, cumulative efforts. Through multidisciplinary dialogue, reflection, and concrete action, let’s work together with children to create learning environments that are safer, more empathetic, and respectful of differences.