My analysis of the School category of causes in the comparison by type of publication shows that journalists in general consider educational pressure and bullying to be predominant causes of hikikomori belonging to this category. Scholars in general differ on this issue and point to school refusal (futōkō) as the cause of the problem. The analysis of comparison by nationality of publication shows that within the School category foreign publications in general tend to point to educational pressure and bullying as the most salient causes of social withdrawal. Publications from Japan, however, indicate school refusal and bullying as main causes of the phenomenon.