Wis. Town Passes $114 Bullying Fine—for Parents

A Wisconsin town might have finally figured out a way to deal with childhood bullies: fine their parents. As part of an anti-bullying ordinance that passed in Monona late last month, parents of repeat offenders can be ticketed by police and fined up to $114 the first time, and $177 for any other violations during the same year. Before the first fine, parents would be warned that their children were on notice, the Wisconsin State Journal reports, and those who are really trying to deal with the behavior would not be ticketed.

The director of the National Bullying Prevention Center says she knows of no other similar tactic. And the executive director of a bullying prevention nonprofit calls the move "fantastic." The ordinance also includes fines for the bullies themselves, as long as they're at least 12 years old, and it does include cyberbullying. (More bullying stories.)