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June. 11, 2004 On the Fatal Stabbing of a Sixth-Grade Girl Mariko Tokoro, CRN staff

Recently, a sixth grade girl was fatally stabbed by a female classmate at school. This incident has aroused debate about the Internet and the role that it allegedly played in the relationship between the two girls. CRN here considers this tragedy in the light of its research on children and how they view and use the Internet. On June 1, a sixth-grade girl in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, was fatally stabbed in the neck by a female classmate with a paper cutter. The stabbing took place when the girl called the victim out of the classroom and into another room during the lunch break. When the attacker returned to the classroom covered in victim's blood, the shocked teacher questioned her, and then found the victim. In her account to the police, the attacker provided the following information on the situation that led up to stabbing. - Both girls were good friends. - Both were good at using the computer, and the victim had her own website. - The victim had posted messages on the website bulletin board that had annoyed the attacker who then planned to kill her. - The messages consisted of derogatory remarks on the girl's appearance and behavior. The shocking nature of this incident has led many experts to analyze the background factors involved and why it might have occurred. One prominent view considers that what took place on the Internet prompted the killing. In other words, they assert that what occurred in the virtual space of the Internet resulted in the killing of a person. CRN takes the view that the Internet was not the only cause of this tragedy. But before we reach such a conclusion, however, we must first address the question: For children, is the Internet really a virtual world? CRN has been conducting research on children and their relationship with the Internet in rapidly changing media environment. Last year, CRN began a survey on use of the Internet among children, in particular, now that broadband Internet access has become prevalent in households. CRN found children's Internet use displayed the following two characteristics. 1. Children were attracted by the convenience of the Internet that allowed them to access whatever they wanted. They know that they can use the search function of Yahoo, for example, to find whatever they are looking for. They access the websites of record companies to listen to new releases of their favorite singers, or other sites providing animation. The Internet has become one indispensable part of their daily lives. 2. Personal websites could be compared to having one's own room. Some children have websites that they maintained together with their friends. These sites are considered to be their private spaces, and they strongly object to anyone, even an acquaintance, coming in and making any sort of change. This irritation is similar to what they felt when a parent entered their room without permission. But does an annoying remark on the Internet imply that the media itself is to blame? For both adults and children alike, an inadvertent remark is capable of hurting another or causing one to be hurt. This is true whatever the communication or media used: a letter, a diary exchange, graffiti, a phone call, etc. And for children today, bulletin boards on the Internet are an easy and convenient means of communication that is readily available. Given this situation, it is hard to say that this fatal stabbing was caused by Internet use. The problem cannot be solved only by limiting use of the Internet of children and teaching them Netiquette. Even if one is hurt by an insensitive and unkind remark, that is not a reason to kill a person. To ensure that children receive and understand this message, we need to take a hard look at the world that children inhabit today and convey this message to them in words and in a way that they can understand. Isn't this what adults are supposed to do? Let us hear your comment at Let's Talk!

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