Youth Violence in Japan

[grendelsage]

I read recently read this article about the rise of violence in among Japanese school children, and it took me by surprise. Maybe I am not as jaded as I wish to be, but I was shocked by the nonchalant brutality. I haven't been in grade school for quite sometime, but was (or is) it ever that bad in American schools?

The article does mention two anime titles, Battle Royale and Gunslinger Girl. I don't think the article was trying to show a direct causal relationship between anime violence and real life violence, but the author does draw a passing relation.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5642715/