Fines of up to 500 thousand rubles may be introduced for bullying in Russia

Deputies of the LDPR faction, led by party leader Leonid Slutsky, have prepared a bill introducing administrative fines of up to 500 thousand rubles for bullying and cyberbullying. The document was submitted to the State Duma on December 2, reports IrkutskMedia. The draft law supplements the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation with a new article, which provides for punishment for systematic humiliation of honor and dignity, including on the Internet and the media, defining bullying as repeated actions in an indecent form.

For citizens, a fine of 10 thousand to 50 thousand rubles is proposed, for officials – from 100 thousand to 200 thousand rubles, and for legal entities – from 100 thousand to 500 thousand rubles. Leonid Slutsky said that every fourth schoolchild experiences insults, and 75% of children become victims of cyberbullying, which is 15% more than a year ago. Children are afraid to ask for help, since in most cases attacks come from peers or older children.

The draft law is aimed at stopping psychological pressure on children and creating intolerance to humiliation of dignity, creating a legal instrument to combat violence, TASS reports.