Sweets for 100 people were delivered to a juvenile training school in Hyogo Prefecture last Christmas.
A picture book drawn by the boys as a thank you.
It seems that the boys received more than just sweets.
(Osaka Broadcasting Station Reporter Sachiko Inoue)
juvenile training school snuggling class
Kakogawa Gakuen is a juvenile training school located in Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture.
About 100 boys in their mid-to-late teens who have been brought here for crime or delinquency, such as theft or fraud, are receiving remedial education.
This February, Ms. Yukiko Tsuji, a social worker from Osaka, visited this juvenile training school.
Tsuji supports young people and single mothers, and for the past two years she has been teaching boys skills that will help them reintegrate into society, such as how to socialize.
In her class, she candidly listens to the boys and empathizes with them.
A boy who expresses the difficulty of building relationships, saying, "I really want to be treated kindly, but it makes me sick."
She sympathizes with Mr. Tsuji, saying, “I understand.
Ms. Yukiko Tsuji
: "It's an important feeling in my heart, so I don't think I need to lie about it. 10 out of 10 people may not be adults you can trust, but there are some people who will listen to you without fail." Ministry of
Justice According to the 2020 White Paper on Crime, about 40% of juveniles in juvenile training schools have experienced some form of abuse.
Law instructor Katsuyasu Inoue planned Tsuji's class to show the boys that there are adults they can trust.
Mr. Katsuyasu Inoue
: “There are quite a few children in juvenile training schools who have developmental problems or are being abused. increase"
sweets for the boys
At the end of last year, Mr. Tsuji carried out a certain project.
"Giving Christmas sweets to 100 boys in juvenile training school"
was triggered by one of the boys I met in class who said he wanted to eat sweets.
Mr. Tsuji heard that many juvenile training school events have been canceled due to the effects of the new coronavirus, and that there are boys who do not receive letters or visits from their families during Christmas and the New Year holidays.
When he called out through SNS, about 120 people agreed, saying, "I definitely want to cooperate."
Based on the donations collected, pound cakes and cookies for 100 people were prepared.
With the help of other volunteer groups, each person was accompanied by a handwritten message, such as "You are not alone."
A paper bag full of sweets was delivered to the boys on Christmas Eve.
Mr. Tsuji
: More than I imagined, there were people who wanted to cooperate with the boys in some way. I wanted to share it with everyone."
The present I received, the unexpected reaction
Sweets filled with the thoughts of many people.
There was an unexpected reaction from the boys to this.
Mr. Tsuji received many messages of gratitude.
“It was a very good memory that I will never forget.”
“I realized that I was not alone.”
Thank you picture book "Children and Christmas"
Among them were two boys who had written a picture book of their feelings of gratitude.
The title is "Children and Christmas".
The main characters are pranksters who have been kicked out of the village and live in the mountains.
The demons hear the village children talking about how good children get Christmas presents.
After returning to the mountains, the demons begin to study hard to become good children.
When the demons see human children receiving presents, they become sad and go home.
But that night.
There are also presents for the little demons.
There was someone watching.
The little demons stop playing pranks and live in harmony with humans in the village.
We likened ourselves to baby demons, and drew our lives so far, our gratitude for presents, and our hopes for the future.
“Juvenile training school is less exhausting” A boy’s heart
This time, I was able to hear the story of the boy who drew the picture.
He says he was abused from an early age.
Boy
: I didn't feel that entering a juvenile training school was that hard. Rather than that, living in society, and being alone, made me feel uneasy from the beginning. I didn't try, I was afraid of being betrayed, and I saw meeting people as something negative.
"
Boy
: “I was surprised that you really sent it. Depending on the person who receives it, I think there are people who don’t feel anything like it being heavy, but I don’t know the warmth of home, so maybe this time. I felt that the happiness that came with the gift of was close to that."
A boy who originally liked to draw.
He said that at juvenile detention school he only used pencils and colored pencils, so he didn't draw well.
Still, he says that painting for someone for the first time was exceptional.
Boy
: “Not just me, but everyone equally had a paper bag full of sweets. I think it was probably the joy of eating sweets for the first time in a long time. The juvenile training school is not a positive place, but there were feelings and things that I realized as a result of meeting there. I feel that it is more than just receiving sweets and sweets.”
connect warm thoughts
Mr. Tsuji who received the picture book.
He is so happy that the boys feel that he cries every time he reads it.
Mr. Tsuji wants to tell boys who have not been blessed with connections that "there are people in society who value your existence."
Ms. Yukiko Tsuji
: "It's been a long time since I've had sweets," "Thank you," and other words made me happy. I was surprised to see how many there were.Some people think, ``I have to punish you'' just because it's a juvenile training school, but that's not the case. I get hurt by people, but I feel kindness when I connect with people.I think that the true way of change is to connect with people with a warm and happy feeling and change society.Gently support someone when they make a mistake or stumble. I want to create a society where people can live.”
The boy's words, "It's harder to live in society than in a juvenile training school," sounded heavy.
Still, I would like the boys to return to the community and live.
The so-called recidivism rate, which means that juveniles leave the juvenile training school and commit crimes and return to the juvenile training school or enter penal institutions such as prisons within five years, is about 20%.
There are also harsh realities for boys, such as returning to a complicated home environment and facing challenges such as the lack of employment.
How can society support boys?
The messages sent by the boys to Mr. Tsuji and others are filled with expectations for trustworthy adults.