Table 1
	Question for Junior High School Students(1) Do you have any knives (excluding ones such as school tools like cutters)? [samples] Boy: 4338 Girl: 3631 (1) Total Yes 9.4 No 90.2 No answer 0.3 (%) (2) Boy Girl Yes 14.3 3.6 No 85.4 96.0 (%)
Table 2
	Question for Junior High School Students(2) For those who answered "yes" to question(1) [samples] Boy: 622 Girl: 130 Everyday 4.7 Sometimes 20.9 Never 69.8 No answer 4.7 (%)
Table 3
	Question for Junior High School Students(3) For those who answered "everyday" or "sometimes" to question(2) [samples] Boy: 165 Girl: 27 To feel cool 17.7 To feel like being stronger 7.8 To protect ourselves 37.0 Because friends have them 16.7 Others 20.8 (%)
Table 4
	Question for Parents What would you do if your children wanted to carry knives? (Only for parents who answered "Our children never have knives" or "Not sure") [samples] Boy's parents: 2186 Girl's parents: 2308 Never allow it no matter what the reason is 73.0 Allow it in certain situations 11.6 Leave it to the children's decision 3.5 Cannot answer 3.8 No answer 8.0 (%)
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Voices of junior high students towards parents and teachers A sample of responses picked out from Inquiry Cards sent to Consultation Room for Students of Benesse's Correspondence Educational Course and this shows recent students' feelings. Toward Parents: -I don't know why I was scolded! -Parents never keep their word! -Parents easily take back what they said before! -Parents are not cooperative! Toward Teachers: -I can't understand why I have to be scolded! -I hate my teacher! -My teacher's attitude to girls differs from the one to boys High school students become most angry when their parents or teachers scold them for some reason they do not understand. The number of children who think "We can do anything as long as we do not get someone in trouble" are increasing. Therefore, it may be difficult to force traditional social morals or school rules on them. Thus, it is a challenge for adults (i.e. parents, teachers) to socialize children to behave with an appropriate balance of individualization and collectivism. This is an interesting and much needed topic for Japanese parents and adults to consider.

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The Increase in Behavioral Probrems of Junior High Students Source: (Table 5) Ministry of Education "Problems on Students Instruction and the Policy of Ministry of Education," 1997. (Table 6) Ministry of Justice, "White paper on Crimes," 1997

Table 5
	Number of School Violence Incidents at Junior High Schools (number students involved) (Source: Ministry of Education "Present Problem on Student's Instruction and Ministry of Education" 1997) Year 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1996 Among students 1978 1262 1904 2309 3530 4682 Toward teachers 1139 624 744 724 883 1316

Number of incidents both toward teachers and between students is increasing in recent years. The ratio of incidents done with others and the number of young people participating in gangs tend to decrease, but instead, individualized juvenile delinquency is increasing.

Table 6
	Ratio of Juvenile Delinquency Conducted in Gang Situations (Source: Ministry of Justice "Whitepaper on Crime" 1997) Year 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 1996 The ratio of young people participating in gangs 11.2 8.6 8.3 8.3 7.3 6.4 5.8 The ratio of incidents done with others 48.7 52.5 53.3 51.3 46.6 42.2 41.2
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