Penalise parents for their bully kids, former Family Court judge Alastair …



BULLY victims should be allowed to sue the parents of their tormenters, a former chief judge of the Family Court said yesterday.


And schools should be made legally responsible for student bullying that takes place off campus, and outside of school hours, Alastair Nicholson said.

Mr Nicholson, one of Australia’s most respected legal figures, believes tougher civil laws could be a key weapon in the nation’s battle against “insidious and dangerous” bullying.

“If there’s one thing that makes people tend to be cautious about permitting certain behaviour, it’s the fact it might cost them a lot of money,” Mr Nicholson said.

“If schools know they have a responsibility outside the school gates, and if parents know they perhaps have a responsibility as well, there could well be consequences that would cause them to be a bit more careful about what their kids are doing.”

Earlier this year the NSW Department of Education paid almost $1 million to the family of bullied teen Alex Wildman, who committed suicide in June 2008 after he was bullied by other students at Kadina High School, near Lismore in northern NSW.

A coronial inquest had found the 14-year-old had been “driven” to take his life as a result of the torment, which included bashings in the playground which were filmed as well as episodes of cyber bullying.

Mr Nicholson will address the “mishmash” of laws at the National Centre Against Bullying conference in Melbourne today and tomorrow. He is chairman of the centre.

 

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