A heads up for parents in Camden, New Jersey: what children say in school could empty wallets.
Camden city council unanimously voted on Tuesday night to adopt an ordinance making all forms of bullying illegal within city limits.
"I think it’s a great thing because bullying has been passing around a lot of times...I can barely play games or talk to my friends without something happening, without arguments, bad things," Deivi Zapata Jr., a rising 7th grader, said.
Violators of the ordinance will have to agree to anti-bully education, counseling or community service.
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Families of suspected offenders could also have anti-bullying education ordered by a judge. If the anti-bullying education is ignored, families can be fined up to $500.
"We really hammered that it's not about sanctions, it's about education," Dr.Claudio Cerullo Senior Director of Freedom Prep Charter School said.
A new anti-bullying task force was approved along with this ordinance. The task force will focus on providing resources to educate the bullies and provide recourses to bullying victims.
