This New Anti Bullying Law Could Land Parents In Jail

North Tonawanda, in upstate New York, could easily be Anytown, USA.

It's small and quaint and quiet, and it's trying to deal with a bullying problem. Thanks to a new law, it's the parents who could find themselves in detention for kids who get caught bullying.

Victoria Crago started calling for the new measure after her eighth-grade son was viciously attacked in front of her.

As she told ABC News, "This young man just sucker-punched him right in the face and hit him as hard as he could. What really alarmed me about the situation was the brazen act of violence."

Police charged the attacker with third-degree assault.

This wasn't good enough for Victoria. She wanted to address the larger issue, so she and her husband started a Facebook group. The group caught on, and its members petitioned the local government for change. The response was a new law holding parents accountable for the actions of their kids with fines as high as $250 and 15 days in jail.

Now, the city attorneys don't necessarily see themselves jailing many parents under the new law.

"In reality, what we're looking for is to engage the parents in the process and try and work on a solution," said attorney Luke Brown. So for the time being, the new law is more a means of leverage than anything, but it's in place if it's needed.

The new law went into effect on October 1, but the effects were already being felt in middle schools in North Tonawanda.

According to Victoria's Facebook group, many parents reported a quieter school year so far. Time will tell, but maybe holding parents accountable will prove to be the solution North Tonawanda has been hoping for.

If you would like to visit the facebook group referenced in this article please visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1888822704711479/

What do you think? Is this a step in the right direction? Should parents be sent to jail if their kids bully? Let us know in the comments!