Anti-Bullying Law Fails In Carson City

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A proposed ordinance that would have made Carson the first city in California to outlaw bullying was defeated during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. The law, sponsored by Councilman Mike Gipson, was introduced in part because of widespread bullying and cyberbullying that, in some instances, has led teenagers to commit suicide.

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Bullying is defined in the ordinance as a “willful course of conduct which involves harassment,” which in turn is defined as conduct or communication that would “cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed or molested.” Those in violation would be pay a steep price. The first and second bullying infractions would result in fines of $100 and $200 respectively, according to Gipson. The third offense would bring a misdemeanor charge with a fine of up to $500. Enforcing officers could chose whether violators would be charged with an infraction or misdemeanor, according to the ordinance language. Parents will be held liable and face the criminal charge if their children violate the ordinance, Gipson said.

While I am staunchly opposed to bullying, I find some of the details here quite troubling. I don't think parents should be held criminally liable for their child's actions, with the exception of extreme negligence. And from what I understand, school teachers and administrators tend to be far more morally culpable in bullying situations than the parents are, possibly even more so than the bullies themselves. I think a lot more traction could be gained by enforcing existing laws (assault, harassment, etc.) and cracking down on school officials who allow these problems to persist.

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