Community will ticket parents of chronic bullies

[NFS4]

Monona, a suburb of Madison, Wis., recently adopted an ordinance that allows police to cite the parents of chronic bullies. If they’re notified in writing that their child is bullying, and the bad behavior happens again within 90 days, the parents can be fined $114 in municipal court.

Julie Hertzog, director of the National Bullying Prevention Center, said this is the first community she has seen pass such a rule. But police noted they don’t expect to use it very often.

“There’s a lot of discretion here. If we go to someone’s house and the parents are just at wit’s end, they don’t know what to do, they’ve tried everything, it’s just not working – we’re not going to write those people tickets. That’s not right, they’re actually trying to fix the problem,” Walter Ostrenga, the town’s chief of police, told TODAY Moms.

“It’s the ones where you go knocking on the door and they say, ‘Hey, my kid’s perfect, you have no reason to come here,’ and slam the door in your face and they’re totally uncooperative. Those are the ones we’re trying to make an impact on.”

The ordinance covers cyberbullying, Ostrenga said, adding he’s heard nothing but positive comments about the new rule, which was adopted last month. No specific incident prompted the town to take action, he noted, calling bullying a “global issue.”

Hertzog said it’s too early to tell whether other communities might want to follow suit. She sees education as more of the trend in the battle against bullying, rather than financial penalties, and wondered whether a fine would have an effect.

“I think parents should be held accountable for their child’s actions, but I also think that in doing so, they need some education and resources about how they can help their child,” Hertzog told TODAY Moms.

“For so long, we were just looking at our schools as being responsible for this, but now we understand that it’s about community working together: it’s the schools, it’s the parents, it’s the law enforcement.”

One of the most frequently downloaded handouts on the website of the National Bullying Prevention Center is titled, “What if my child is the bully?” Hertzog said.

http://www.today.com/moms/community-will-ticket-parents-chronic-bullies-6C10172548

 

[Sho'Nuff]

YAY! More government! Loving this change!

Seriously, what happened to the good old days. You know? When if a kid was beat up in school, his dad worked it out with the other kids dad? Much better system. And much more effective.

 

[NFS4]

YAY! More government! Loving this change!

Seriously, what happened to the good old days. You know? When if a kid was beat up in school, his dad worked it out with the other kids dad? Much better system. And much more effective.

Today, parents don't give a shit. Back then, they did. My wife is a teacher, and the "My child can do nothing wrong, you're the one that has the problem" is VERY prevalent with parents.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

YAY! More government! Loving this change!

Seriously, what happened to the good old days. You know? When if a kid was beat up in school, his dad worked it out with the other kids dad? Much better system. And much more effective.

Americuh' is all about not addressing your own problems now (thanks to Liberals).

Instead, it's all about someone else taking care of your own problems.

I can't afford food because I spent it all on signing a 2 year contract for a smartphone, have Satellite TV, and go out drinking daily. GIVE ME FOOD MONEY.

I can't stop myself from drinking. Someone else fix this problem of mine.

No one ever wants to take responsibility for themselves anymore. It doesn't matter if it's the fact that we blew up a 60% divorce rate because couples refuse to work things out, or that we are a nation of imbeciles with dollars - Our society has conformed to this notion that instead of addressing problems, have someone else do it for you 🙄 Because it would just be Waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much awkwardness to do it yourself.

It really does speak volumes as the truth. We grow up around a society of awkwardness being stressful somehow. And you wonder why our nation has such a high suicide rate? Probably because no one ever makes any friends from not talking to your neighbors.

 

[Linux23]

i don't get this bullying bullsh!t. What happens when their kid gets into the workforce? wtf stops that type of bullying?

 

[Matt1970]

i don't get this bullying bullsh!t. What happens when their kid gets into the workforce? wtf stops that type of bullying?

No, just keep sheltering the kids making them think life is fair and one big bed of roses. Don't go to college, picket Wal-mart or occupy a city park.

 

[Veliko]

YAY! More government! Loving this change!

Seriously, what happened to the good old days. You know? When if a kid was beat up in school, his dad worked it out with the other kids dad? Much better system. And much more effective.

Those good old days never existed.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

No, just keep sheltering the kids making them think life is fair and one big bed of roses. Don't go to college, picket Wal-mart or occupy a city park.

You're wrong there buddy.

The correct answer is: Go to college, expect the government (public) to pay for your mistake ($50k+) of SURPRISINGLY not getting a job when you graduated after majoring in liberal arts.

 

[zsdersw]

i don't get this bullying bullsh!t. What happens when their kid gets into the workforce? wtf stops that type of bullying?

Well, assault is a crime.. punishable by fines and/or jail time.

For things that are more teasing than bullying, well, I've always found that a clever rebuttal that either makes them look stupid or goads them into making themselves look stupid works pretty well.

 

[Lithium381]

Lol the definition of bullying is as broad and vauge as terrorism and assault weapons

 

[Genx87]

Makes sense. Lets punish those that arent comitting the offense. Surprised they dont want to toss the parents in jail for the childs behavior. Murica, fuck yeah!

 

[Jimzz]

Makes sense. Lets punish those that arent comitting the offense. Surprised they dont want to toss the parents in jail for the childs behavior. Murica, fuck yeah!

Yea why hold parents accountable for their kid? 😵

Let see in this thread I see we have already blamed the “liberals”, “Government”, etc… so yep lets not even think it could be the people that raised the POS kid.

 

[soulcougher73]

See's conservatard circle jerk and..

 

[Genx87]

Yea why hold parents accountable for their kid? 😵

Let see in this thread I see we have already blamed the “liberals”, “Government”, etc… so yep lets not even think it could be the people that raised the POS kid.

There is a way to hold a parent responsible. That way is to use the civil court system to ask for any damages incurred from their childs actions.

 

[sunzt]

There is a way to hold a parent responsible. That way is to use the civil court system to ask for any damages incurred from their childs actions.

Especially effective when a child commits suicide after repeated bulling.

 

[Genx87]

Especially effective when a child commits suicide after repeated bulling.

That is of course if you believe punishing one person for anothers actions will stop the offender from offending. This is the same logic behind punishing people for drug
paraphernalia, felony murder ect. Outlaw enough tertiary offenses hoping it will stop the targetted offense. The results dont bode well for that type of lawmaking.

 

[Matt1970]

Well, assault is a crime.. punishable by fines and/or jail time.

For things that are more teasing than bullying, well, I've always found that a clever rebuttal that either makes them look stupid or goads them into making themselves look stupid works pretty well.

And when you try that with your boss he gives you directions to the unemployment office.

 

[zsdersw]

And when you try that with your boss he gives you directions to the unemployment office.

Should be obvious I was talking about co-workers, not the boss.

 

[HumblePie]

Local law that only effects the locals and was implemented by the voters. I see no problem with this law. None what so ever. It's how proper government should work. And as stated in the OP, the ticket is very low with a lot of discretion by enforcement authorities over whether to issue the ticket or not.

Basically if the kid is dyed in the wool bully and the parents don't give a shit about their child's behavior then the parents get held accountable. I have zero problem with this.

 

[sourn]

Maybe if parents or hell even society quit trying to force kids into becoming bitches we wouldn't have such a problem.

 

[RampantAndroid]

Well, assault is a crime.. punishable by fines and/or jail time.

For things that are more teasing than bullying, well, I've always found that a clever rebuttal that either makes them look stupid or goads them into making themselves look stupid works pretty well.

Also, once in the workforce you get fired for "bullying"....

When a coworker basically accused me of threatening them (when I had not done so, and had documented history with the Redmond PD) and quite honestly led me to believe they might try to harm me or my possessions (slashed tires, come to mind) HR and my boss both told me to stay home and not work if I felt unsafe.

I'm not sure how I like this solution - the tickets - but something has to be done. I was bullied in school...and it was by the "cool" kids. I won by just walking away from them and making it apparent to others present that I was the mature one and the bully was a loser, but others weren't so fortunate.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Today, parents don't give a shit. Back then, they did. My wife is a teacher, and the "My child can do nothing wrong, you're the one that has the problem" is VERY prevalent with parents.

I don't care if parents today completely check out. It is not the government's job to parent children. Period. Just like its not the governments job to place everyone on an equal playing field just "because."

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Those good old days never existed.

They did. I lived through them.

And by "work it out" I don't mean that the two dads fought. I mean that one dad informed the other dad of the situation, and that dad struck the fear of god into his son so that the situation never arose again.

See, its parents working together to address a problem with children. Much better when the parties with vested interest in the kids take action, instead of some government bureaucrats.

 

[Doppel]

i don't get this bullying bullsh!t. What happens when their kid gets into the workforce? wtf stops that type of bullying?

Workforce bullying?! Where do you work? I've never seen it.

And all this "deal with it and not complain", is that what would happen if I saw you in the grocery store and just smacked you on the face because I don't like what you wear? You'd call the police and I go to prison.

It's strange really that although adults have VERY strict rules for behavior and follow them (and those who don't fill the prisons), we let kids get off with a lot of shit. Kids are more inclined to impulse issues, but a chronic bully needs to be ground down and out. Expecting a physically weaker child to defend against a large bully is as stupid as the police telling an assault victim to man up and lift some weights so next time he can hit back hard.

Of course the cliche of bullies is quite astute. You're not likely to have a child of loving attentive parents beat upon others, he does it because his family life sucks, among other things.

This ordnance seems good, though; better than nothing.

 

[Doppel]

They did. I lived through them.

And by "work it out" I don't mean that the two dads fought. I mean that one dad informed the other dad of the situation, and that dad struck the fear of god into his son so that the situation never arose again.

See, its parents working together to address a problem with children. Much better when the parties with vested interest in the kids take action, instead of some government bureaucrats.

That works if the bully's father gives a shit. If he doesn't, or doesn't exist (an ever-growing problem), then what?

And the above about government, it is partially the government's job to protect you. IF the government compels you by law to attend a school as a child and at the same time is not protecting you and making that environment safe it is not doing its job.