Should parents of bullies face the law for their kids' actions?
Bullying is not right under any circumstance and we should strive to do what we can to curb it. Damon wants to know if parents should be held responsible for their bullying kids?
Listen as KZN reacts to the question posed by Damon in the podcast then read more below:
Just a few weeks ago, we chatted about a mom who took action against her daughter's bully. When we chatted about it, many were outraged that the mom reacted the way she did, while some just thought that it was right that she took her revenge.
Read: Mom exacts revenge on daughter's school 'attacker'
Over the last few days, I've been seeing way too many videos on my newsfeed of schoolkids beating each other up on the playground. I get that we have to stand up for what we believe in, but bullying is something that doesn't sit well with me. There's simply no excuse for it. But what about the parents of these bullies? Where do they fit into the picture?
According to UNILAD, the law in the USA will give bullies and young troublemakers something to think about before they decide to act, and their parents could potentially be fined up to $700 (just over R9,000), as well as receive a 15-day jail sentence if their child continues to bully another child.Offenders in question risk either suspension or expulsion if convicted - and this ranges from minor teasing to severe cases - and parents could ultimately sit behind bars for their child's actions.
Read: School Bullies – Caught on Tape
https://www.ecr.co.za/unpublished-articles/lifestyle__old/signs-your-child-being-bullied-school/
The new law also aims to punish parents if their child violates city curfews or breaks the law twice within a 90-day period. Some may view this law as extreme, but it seems that the USA is really going all out to stop troublesome kids.
Even schools have had to report each case of bullying to state officials. The state then grades each school based on bullying standards, policies, and incidents, and each school has to have an effective plan to deal with bullying.
Read - School anti-bullying policies must be in place: KZN Education
I wonder how many of our South African schools have a 'bullying' plan in place? With the spate of bullying videos that are doing the rounds on social media, I really hope that schools have some plan in place in an effort to curb it and sort out bullies on the playgrounds?
What do you think - if this law was passed in our land, would you as a parent be happy to face jail-time for your kid's behaviour? Or should bullying kids face the law for their own actions?