[Yuki Maru Hoshi]

Originally Posted by Ashley.

I believe that such a system is unequal for different reasons - it would actually be more beneficial for poorer families. I'm sure the more well-off parents wouldn't mind paying a "small" fine for their child's behaviour, whereas poorer parents wouldn't want to pay various fines and would be more willing to make an effort.

Again though, it isn't always the parents' fault, so it's complicated.

I agree with this, Ashley. In my high school, we had a truancy issue. One year, the administration had an idea. The police came and occupied the auditorium for about a week and called students with a certain number of inexcused absences into there by intercom to issue them all citations and fines based on the amount of days they missed without a notice. So all the kids and their parents had to go to court and either bring proof proving the reason(s) for their chronic truancy or they were fined... attendance was better after that, sure, but a lot of parents were distressed by the extra financial strain.

With bullying, I think it would be difficult to tailor a system that is objective enough for what it's meant to dissolve. It may just cause those children being excluded even more hardship in it's interpretation, just because it limits the tools of the bullies. So it will just lead to further pervasive bullying by exclusion, etc, which is far worse... than if folk have a fight and then "work it out after". It's not like they can "compell" students to interact with one another in a friendly manner that isn't purposeful. It may actually worsen the situation for the student and make the bullying more deeply ingrained into the culture of the school... kind of like how it works at internet forums that have really heavy moderation, there is a lot of "exclusionary" behavior(s), etc to such a degree.

Truancy is a bit different, it's pretty black and white when someone doesn't show up to their classes or are caught down the road by a Constable eating a hamburger at Burger King.