Saturday, March 29, 2014

Rebecca has a question about bullying

We all know that bullying is a big issue in schools.   I recently read an article that said that a judge in Hunterdon County ruled that school districts can now sue the students who are found to be tormenting their peers.  It is believed that if a school district is able to sue a student who is participating in harassment and bullying that parents of those students will now be legally responsible for their  child's actions.   In turn, it is hoped that this ability to sue will force parents to take some affirmative steps toward demanding appropriate behavior from their child.    This is the first case to be brought forward by a school district since the new New Jersey anti-bullying law was passed.  
Obviously we know that actions need to be taken with regard to bullying,  but do you agree with this court decision?   Do you think that other courts in other counties in New Jersey  will do the same?  Do you believe that by involving parents in these law suits that bullying will decrease? I have inserted the article for your convenience.   







3 comments:

  1. I think that bullying is a hot topic in the education field, and should be taken very seriously. I am torn on how I feel, because I can see both sides of this argument. I believe that the issue of bullying should be taken seriously, but I also feel that a principal should be able to control and discipline what is going on in their own school. But, I also agree that the judge's decision sends a strong message to parents. I hope that incidents of bullying will start to decrease in New Jersey, hopefully the judge's decision will send a message state-wide to students and parents.

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  2. I am not sure how I feel about this topic. I know that bullying and harassment has become a big issue within schools. So, I guess Hunterdon County is trying to find a solution to the problem. I can see how schools might believe that parents might become more involved in their child’s life and teach them the consequences of bullying, as well as how their child should treat others. However, I do not know if having a school district sue their students is the best solution.

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  3. I agree with Megan Sloan, I do not know if having a school district sue their students is the best solution. I can understand wanting to involve parents more in the bullying issue, however I think that this is more of an extreme. I think if there is an availability of workshops on anti-bullying for parents then that would be a better solution than suing the student.

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