I made a simple Japanese-English dictionary of selective mutism. :)
http://nhjournal.kurushiunai.jp/smmm_japanese.html
Index of SM in Japan
Friday, November 24, 2006
Thursday, November 23, 2006
A Friend of Mine Protected Me from Bullying
* * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 2 I Get Selective Mutism
A Friend of Mine Protected Me from Bullying
* * * * * * * * * *
I had nothing to complain about my new home life.
But in school, I felt there very stressful environment. I was bullied and got mute. I was worried about bullying rather than selective mutism then. I guessed I got mute because many classmates bullied me.
I was bullied by most classmates and even other classes' children. But there was a boy who protected me from bullying. His name was M, a carpenter' son.
I seemed to feel ease with M. One day, a girl classmate criticized me for talking only with M but not with other classmates. But even if I was with M, I couldn't talk smoothly.
I sometimes went to M's house to play with him. This was recorded in my diary which I turned in my homeroom teacher.
I was stupid. I recorded the process of going to M's house, not how I played with him. "Invited by him, I went to M's house" shows my passiveness due to selective mutism.
The comments by my homeroom teacher on this was shock to me.
I was unlucky. I had no friends except M. And M was the only classmate who protected me from bullying. But M was to move.
In the second term, M transferred to the B elementary school, near the A elementary school where I went to. No classmate protected me from bullying. I was bullied more severely.
(To be continued)
Index of SM story
Chapter 2 I Get Selective Mutism
A Friend of Mine Protected Me from Bullying
* * * * * * * * * *
I had nothing to complain about my new home life.
But in school, I felt there very stressful environment. I was bullied and got mute. I was worried about bullying rather than selective mutism then. I guessed I got mute because many classmates bullied me.
I was bullied by most classmates and even other classes' children. But there was a boy who protected me from bullying. His name was M, a carpenter' son.
I seemed to feel ease with M. One day, a girl classmate criticized me for talking only with M but not with other classmates. But even if I was with M, I couldn't talk smoothly.
I sometimes went to M's house to play with him. This was recorded in my diary which I turned in my homeroom teacher.
May 31 Walk
Invited by him, I went to M's house. I went on foot, because I couldn't go by bicycle. The distance between his house and mine is not so far away. But it takes some time, so I run. I arrived at an intersection. Traffic lights turned green, and I went again. Then, I arrived at M's house.
I was stupid. I recorded the process of going to M's house, not how I played with him. "Invited by him, I went to M's house" shows my passiveness due to selective mutism.
The comments by my homeroom teacher on this was shock to me.
M will change to another school in the next term.
I was unlucky. I had no friends except M. And M was the only classmate who protected me from bullying. But M was to move.
In the second term, M transferred to the B elementary school, near the A elementary school where I went to. No classmate protected me from bullying. I was bullied more severely.
(To be continued)
Index of SM story
Thursday, November 16, 2006
The Highly Sensitive Person and Selective Mutism
The Highly Sensitive Person, Dr. Elaine Aron's best seller, has favorable responses among a portion of Japanese parents who have children with selective mutism, and those who have a history of suffering from selective mutism.
I haven't read the books about HSP yet, but from what I've heard, HSP and selectively mute children have many things in common.
Accorging to Dr. Elaine Aron's web site, 7 types of books about HSP in English were sold. But in Japanese, only 2 types. What is worse is that The Highly Sensitive Child, probably the most popular HSP book among parents who have children with selective mutism in English-spoken countries, is not translated into Japanese.
I haven't read the books about HSP yet, but from what I've heard, HSP and selectively mute children have many things in common.
Accorging to Dr. Elaine Aron's web site, 7 types of books about HSP in English were sold. But in Japanese, only 2 types. What is worse is that The Highly Sensitive Child, probably the most popular HSP book among parents who have children with selective mutism in English-spoken countries, is not translated into Japanese.
Monday, November 13, 2006
New Home Life
* * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 2 I Get Selective Mutism
New Home Life
* * * * * * * * * *
Not to change the subject, but I'll write about my new home life in this entry.
[House Sitter]
As I mentioned earlier, I lived in my relatives' house. I was often alone in the house after school, because relatives went to work and my mother nursed my father in hospital.
[What Did I Do After School Hours in House?]
Unlike in the school, I was relaxed in the house. I wasn't a mute child there.
What did I do after school hours in the house?
I spent my time reading Japanese manga (e.g. Doraemon, Tsurupika Hagemaru, etc.,) playing video game (e.g. Super Mario Brothers, Dragon Warrior, etc,) or studying.
Before I moved here, I went to learn calligraphy and swimming. But after I moved here, I didn't took any after-school lessons.
I didn't watch TV programs very much. Most programs broadcast after school hours were for adults or young adults (e.g. Ladies 4, Maidens of Aries, news programs, etc.)
I played Menko, Japanese card game. Although Menko is old game, most boys in the school played that with enthusiasm. But nobody didn't play with me. I played alone in my house.
[Going out]
I sometimes went out after school. Interested in the geography of the town, I explored here and there.
I once played with a boy who lived in the house's neighborhood. I didn't get mute when I played with him.
[With My Relatives]
At dinner time, relatives returned home. They were always kind to me. I could talk in the house without any problems.
[Visited My Father in Hospital]
I frequently visited my father in hospital with my relatives. I didn't get mute in the hospital.
My father didn't seem to be ailing. He said to me, "Don't worry. I'll cure my disease and go to work again." My mother nursed my father, but she didn't seem to worry about his condition very much.
My favorite thing was eating Chinese noodle in a gullet at the hospital. Hearing from my mother and relatives that this hospital was the leading hospital in this region, I wasn't anxious about my father.
(To be continued)
Index of SM story
Chapter 2 I Get Selective Mutism
New Home Life
* * * * * * * * * *
Not to change the subject, but I'll write about my new home life in this entry.
[House Sitter]
As I mentioned earlier, I lived in my relatives' house. I was often alone in the house after school, because relatives went to work and my mother nursed my father in hospital.
[What Did I Do After School Hours in House?]
Unlike in the school, I was relaxed in the house. I wasn't a mute child there.
What did I do after school hours in the house?
I spent my time reading Japanese manga (e.g. Doraemon, Tsurupika Hagemaru, etc.,) playing video game (e.g. Super Mario Brothers, Dragon Warrior, etc,) or studying.
Before I moved here, I went to learn calligraphy and swimming. But after I moved here, I didn't took any after-school lessons.
I didn't watch TV programs very much. Most programs broadcast after school hours were for adults or young adults (e.g. Ladies 4, Maidens of Aries, news programs, etc.)
I played Menko, Japanese card game. Although Menko is old game, most boys in the school played that with enthusiasm. But nobody didn't play with me. I played alone in my house.
[Going out]
I sometimes went out after school. Interested in the geography of the town, I explored here and there.
I once played with a boy who lived in the house's neighborhood. I didn't get mute when I played with him.
[With My Relatives]
At dinner time, relatives returned home. They were always kind to me. I could talk in the house without any problems.
[Visited My Father in Hospital]
I frequently visited my father in hospital with my relatives. I didn't get mute in the hospital.
My father didn't seem to be ailing. He said to me, "Don't worry. I'll cure my disease and go to work again." My mother nursed my father, but she didn't seem to worry about his condition very much.
My favorite thing was eating Chinese noodle in a gullet at the hospital. Hearing from my mother and relatives that this hospital was the leading hospital in this region, I wasn't anxious about my father.
(To be continued)
Index of SM story
Monday, November 06, 2006
Bullied to Death
Recently Japanese children's tragedies have been widely reported by the media in Japan.
In Hokkaido prefecture, northern Japan, a 6th grade girl committed suicide last year. According to her will, she killed herself because she couldn't bear the brunt of bullying. Last month, it appeared that The Hokkaido Board of Education received copies of the will. But it didn't take any measures. In addition to that, it lost the will.
In Fukuoka prefecture, western Japan, a 8th grade boy committed suicide due to bullying last month. The boy was bullied not only by his classmates, but also by his homeroom teacher. The teacher said, "I swore at him because he was easy to tease." Some classmates bullied other children even after his suicide was widely reported by the media.
In Gifu prefecture, central Japan, a 8th grade girl committed suicide by hanging herself last year. She was also bullied.
These incidents were widely reported by the media. Many Japanese now have strong interest in bullying problem. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that he would took measures against bullying speedily.
* * * * * * * * * *
Browsing Japanese websites written by people who had a history of selective mutism, I found that many Japanese children with selective mutism have an experience of being bullied. I suppose that Japanese children with selective mutism tend to be targeted at, because Japanese children tend to hate unusual boy or girl, like selectively mute child.
In Hokkaido prefecture, northern Japan, a 6th grade girl committed suicide last year. According to her will, she killed herself because she couldn't bear the brunt of bullying. Last month, it appeared that The Hokkaido Board of Education received copies of the will. But it didn't take any measures. In addition to that, it lost the will.
In Fukuoka prefecture, western Japan, a 8th grade boy committed suicide due to bullying last month. The boy was bullied not only by his classmates, but also by his homeroom teacher. The teacher said, "I swore at him because he was easy to tease." Some classmates bullied other children even after his suicide was widely reported by the media.
In Gifu prefecture, central Japan, a 8th grade girl committed suicide by hanging herself last year. She was also bullied.
These incidents were widely reported by the media. Many Japanese now have strong interest in bullying problem. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that he would took measures against bullying speedily.
* * * * * * * * * *
Browsing Japanese websites written by people who had a history of selective mutism, I found that many Japanese children with selective mutism have an experience of being bullied. I suppose that Japanese children with selective mutism tend to be targeted at, because Japanese children tend to hate unusual boy or girl, like selectively mute child.
Friday, November 03, 2006
I Get Selective Mutism (2)
* * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 2 I Get Selective Mutism
I Get Selective Mutism (2)
* * * * * * * * * *
[I was severely bullied]
In the new class, I was bullied. At that time I worried about bullying rather than selective mutism. I believed that severe bullying caused me to be selectively mute.
Being bullied in the previous school, I had expected this to some extent in advance. But bullying in this school was more than I had expected. I was bullied by most classmates. I cried nearly every day, although I was the 4th grade.
[Teacher's Responses to Bullying]
In this way, new school environment was highly stressful. In school I felt as if I were overwhelmed by the atmosphere in the classroom.
I sometimes asked Ms. N, my homeroom teacher, for help. But she didn't game me a helping hand. Instead, I was scolded by her. It seemed that she viewed the cause of bullying as my flaccidness. Although she didn't treat me unfairly, she was strict with me about bullying problem.
Incidentally, she made children keep diaries and turned in. I also did. I could freely write what I thought in the diary. Despite I was selectively mute in school, I could express my thoughts in writing.
(To be continued)
Index of SM story
Chapter 2 I Get Selective Mutism
I Get Selective Mutism (2)
* * * * * * * * * *
[I was severely bullied]
In the new class, I was bullied. At that time I worried about bullying rather than selective mutism. I believed that severe bullying caused me to be selectively mute.
Being bullied in the previous school, I had expected this to some extent in advance. But bullying in this school was more than I had expected. I was bullied by most classmates. I cried nearly every day, although I was the 4th grade.
[Teacher's Responses to Bullying]
In this way, new school environment was highly stressful. In school I felt as if I were overwhelmed by the atmosphere in the classroom.
I sometimes asked Ms. N, my homeroom teacher, for help. But she didn't game me a helping hand. Instead, I was scolded by her. It seemed that she viewed the cause of bullying as my flaccidness. Although she didn't treat me unfairly, she was strict with me about bullying problem.
Incidentally, she made children keep diaries and turned in. I also did. I could freely write what I thought in the diary. Despite I was selectively mute in school, I could express my thoughts in writing.
(To be continued)
Index of SM story
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