In Pennsylvania, parents could soon be liable for fines if their children engage in bullying behavior. State Representative Mark Thompson, D-Cambria, has proposed a bill that would impose a $500 fine on parents if their child is found to be bullying repeatedly within a single school year.
“Bullying is often overlooked and inadequately addressed,” Thompson stated. “Failure to intervene can lead to serious consequences, escalating from verbal harassment and hurtful social media posts to physical violence and, in the most tragic cases, suicide.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a significant increase in suicide rates among teenagers, with teen girls experiencing a 40-year high in 2015. The rates for teenage boys also rose sharply, doubling for females and increasing by over 30 percent for males between 2007 and 2015. Thompson felt the need to tackle this issue after visiting several schools in his district.
“If holding parents accountable is what it takes to curb their children’s negative behavior, then we should pursue it,” emphasized Thompson. “With cyberbullying making the situation even more widespread, we cannot afford to be passive. No child should feel unsafe or ashamed at school.”
The proposed legislation would provide both the child and their parents opportunities for reform prior to fines being enacted. Schools would be required to notify parents each time their child is implicated in bullying. Following the first incident, parents would be informed about how the school addressed the situation. If a second incident occurs, parents would be required to attend a specialized class on bullying and participate in a resolution conference. Should a child be involved in bullying for a third time (or more) in the same academic year, the parents would face a court citation and could incur a fine of up to $500 and/or community service.
As school districts nationwide grapple with this pressing issue, more lawmakers are considering the implementation of fines. For instance, the Plover Village Board in Wisconsin recently enacted an anti-bullying ordinance that fines parents of repeat offenders $124. Similar to the Pennsylvania initiative, parents are not immediately penalized; they instead receive a written warning and face fines if their child bullies again within 90 days. “It’s not the school’s job to raise children; that responsibility lies with the parents,” shared Chief of Police Dan Ramirez in Plover, who authored the ordinance.
However, Thompson’s approach aims not just to impose fines but also to provide support and resources. His bill includes provisions for an anonymous reporting system managed by the Department of Education, which would offer real-time data on bullying incidents in schools. “Accountability for students, parents, and educational institutions is essential to eradicate this issue,” Thompson concluded.
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In summary, Pennsylvania’s proposed anti-bullying bill aims to hold parents accountable for their children’s bullying behavior by imposing fines after repeated incidents. The initiative seeks to foster a collaborative approach between schools and families to combat bullying effectively.