Y93 M01 D13
To the Doda Family:
We regret to inform you that your son’s most recent letter to his pen pal has not been delivered. After careful review, we have found that both have been participating in what we classify as high-risk behavior. In light of the recent, highly publicized incident in Tanmono, we have begun taking a proactive approach to curtailing abuses of the pen pal program. We understand that it may cause your son some distress to be disconnected from someone with whom he has corresponded for so many years, however we feel that it is in the best interest of both children to discontinue any further communication.
We know that parents are often curious as to how we make these decisions. Rest assured that we regularly review all correspondence between pen pals. In the case of your son, we have identified a few key factors that put him at risk:
- Due to earlier, more lenient policies, both children have exchanged information that they might use to identify each other. While neither was ever permitted to exchange any explicitly identifying information, the review process has raised concerns that the large number of small details shared between the two could make it possible for one of them to find the other.
- Your child has expressed an interest in identifying his pen pal and has encouraged his pen pal to try to identify him.
- Your child has expressed an abnormal level of emotional attachment to his pen pal. For several months, he has been signing his letters with the valediction “Love” and has, in turn, received letters signed with, “Longingly.” Additionally, both have exchanged romantic poetry and short stories with one another.
To ensure the safety of both children, we request that you dispose of previous letters. We understand that this can cause some emotional distress in the child, but we feel that recent events have proven that protecting our children from physical harm must take priority. Naturally, we have requested that the family of his pen pal do the same.
We do not suggest that families take any further disciplinary action. In our experience, children who have formed these sorts of emotional attachments usually correct their behavior after being separated from the object of their misplaced affection. Typically, they go on to form healthier relationships with individuals they have met in person. For the time being, we have discontinued your son’s enrollment in our program. If and when you feel he is ready to begin correspondence with a new pen pal, we ask that you reenroll through your local school district.
Thank you for your understanding on this matter.
Sincerely,
Hagiuda Nobutaka
Director of Westward Pen Pals