Debate: fine parents if their kids bully?

• Author: Freschi, Claire
• Position: YOUR TURN - Brief article

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.

Here's what two of our readers think.

Yes

Claire Freschi, Wisconsin

The parents of bullies should have to pay a fine. As someone who has been subjected to bullying, I believe that a bully's parents are responsible when their kid...