I saw this on the Scholastic website and thought it would make for an interesting discussion. So what say you? I need to formulate more of an opinion but my gut reaction is that parents do bare some responsibility but I also know not everything in the land of raising children is black and white so I'm not sure this will be an easy question to answer.
Lawmakers in Monona, Wisconsin, say it’s time for someone to pay the price for bullying. But it’s not the bullies who will be paying up—it’s their parents! A new law there fines parents as much as $177 if their kids are caught bullying.
The law is meant to send a message about a serious problem. About 13 million kids across the country are bullied each year. Officials in Monona argue that if parents are forced to pay a fine, they will try harder to fix their kids’ bad behavior.
But many people think the bullies, not their parents, should be held responsible for their actions. After all, they say, parents can’t keep track of their kids at all times. Others say the law will be hard to enforce, because bullying victims often have a hard time proving what happened.
What do you think?
The law is meant to send a message about a serious problem. About 13 million kids across the country are bullied each year. Officials in Monona argue that if parents are forced to pay a fine, they will try harder to fix their kids’ bad behavior.
But many people think the bullies, not their parents, should be held responsible for their actions. After all, they say, parents can’t keep track of their kids at all times. Others say the law will be hard to enforce, because bullying victims often have a hard time proving what happened.
What do you think?
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