Analyzed children's interactions in 19 Japanese preschools, focusing on conflict resolution and how teachers diminish their role as authority figures to encourage children's sense of self-efficacy and autonomy. Found that the most common Japanese teacher response to conflict is nonintervention, with rare use of commands and rule statements.…

Noting that although many Western educators praise the Japanese educational system because of its students' academic achievements, schools in Japan have developed severe and prevalent problems with student bullying. This paper examines the problem of bullying in Japanese schools. Part 1 of the paper reviews bullying incidents in Japanese schools…