Next weekend, IMHPJ (International Mental Health Professionals Japan) will stage its 7th Annual General Meeting and seminar in central Tokyo with the theme "What's Going on in Our Community?" On the Saturday, there will be two panel discussions: one on bullying, the other on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) -- both fairly topical at the moment.
Educational psychologist Elizabeth Gillies laughs when asked why she is the only name listed as sitting on both panels. "It's simple," she replies. "I offered."
Bullying in schools is endemic in the U.K. as well as Japan, but Elizabeth thinks the reasons may be very different. She believes Japan is looking to the West to see what solutions are out there, and trying to fit them into the Japanese system.