Nearly 30,000 children and young adults stay home due to fears of being bullied. Sadly, over 6,000 of them will lose their lives to suicide due to being bullied.
Bullying can lead to many physical and emotional problems such as depression and fear of going to school. And with the advent of smartphones and social media, as many as 52% of young adults have reported being cyber bullied on their phone or their computer.
To make parents aware if their child is identified as bullying others, police officers in one Wisconsin city now have the right to issue fines to parents of bullies. City officials in Shawano, Wisconsin, passed a new ordinance which allows police officers to intervene if they see individuals being bullied.
Upon the first incident, parents will get a warning. If their child’s behavior doesn’t improve in 90 days and are found to be bullying other again, parents will face a fine of $366. If there are other incidents, further fines of $681 will be issued.
Watch how this Wisconsin town is putting a price on bullies…
While every adult agrees that bullying needs to stop, several parents have expressed their concerns. Many residents feel this will not prevent bullying; however, police Chief Mark Kohl has stated, “This isn’t generated towards the kids being kids, some playground banter. This is the person that is meticulously using social media or saying things that are vulgar in an attempt to hurt.””
What do you think? Should parents be responsible for their child’s bullying and is fining them an effective method of preventing bullying? Let us know in the comments. Please share how one Wisconsin town is dealing with bullies with your friends and family.
