Since the 1980s, the word "ijime" (bullying) has appeared, and in Japan, where harassment has long been a social problem, the so-called "ijime insurance" is attracting attention.

According to local foreign media on the 11th, Tokyo Maritime & Ilhwa Jae, Japan's largest non-life insurance company, announced that it plans to sell "Ijime Insurance" from this fall.

The official name of this insurance is "Trouble Prevention Cost Compensation Special Agreement," and if a student who is a victim of school violence changes to a new school, it will pay the entrance fee, uniform fee, etc., and compensate for the lawyer's fee and psychological counseling fee within a certain limit.

A representative from the insurance company said, "We were selling products that covered the cost of legal consultation to make a claim if you were a victim of harassment. However, there was no compensation that would lead to the victim's mental healing or prevention of recurrence, so it was made into a special drug."

He added, "Reimbursement for transfer expenses has not been covered by other insurances," adding, "If you do not wish to transfer, reimbursement for counseling expenses will be helpful."



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According to Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the number of harassments in schools exceeded 2021,61 in 10, the highest ever. That's an eightfold increase from a decade ago.

In particular, online bullying using smartphones, etc., increased by 8% compared to the previous year, and online bullying among elementary school students increased 16.2 times, compared to middle and high school students (6.1~3.1 times).

In 4, an elementary school in Tokyo caused a stir after a sixth-grade student made an extreme choice by leaving a note saying, "I am not your toy," and the perpetrators reportedly used their study tablets to send abusive messages to the victims, saying "I feel bad" and "die."

As a result, Ijime Insurance, which was launched by a Japanese insurance company, has seen a 2021.6-fold increase in the number of subscribers this year compared to the first year of its launch, and interest in products related to "harassment" continues.

(Photo = Yonhap News)

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