By LAURA CLARK

Last updated at 22:49 14 September 2007

Parents whose children bully classmates using text messages or the internet face £1,000 fines.

The Government is cracking down on 'cyber bullies' who use mobile phones, email and social networking websites to threaten or torment fellow pupils.

Ministers want schools to make greater use of parenting orders, under which fines of up to £1,000 can be imposed on mothers and fathers who fail to rein in bullying children.

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The tough penalty has come into force after plans were revealed in June to widen its remit from physical bullying.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls will next week outline the tougher stand in guidance to schools and parents on tackling the scourge of bullying.

His department has backed the use of 'safe rooms' and 'quiet play' areas in playgrounds where bullied pupils can seek refuge during break times, although critics say this is tantamount to caving in to bullying.

The guidance is also expected to give victims a say in deciding how the perpetrators are punished - by picking up litter, for example.

The advice is intended to strengthen current guidance to take modern trends into account as more pupils are targeted by bullies on the Internet or by text message.

It also includes homophobic bullying.

Parents who have an order imposed are bound over to control their children and may be sent to parenting classes.

If they fail to do enough to stop the bullying they can be charged with a criminal offence and fined up to £1,000.

However the guidance will make it clear that schools are within their rights to expel pupils who fight back against bullies. It is the first time heads have been allowed to apply directly for parenting orders. Previously only local councils could apply for the orders.

They will also take effect before pupils are suspended or expelled, whereas before they could be imposed only when a youngster was permanently excluded or suspended twice.

A survey last year of 8,500 children found seven out of ten had been picked on by school bullies, with victims claiming their tormentors had used an average of six different techniques.

These ranged from name-calling and bullying by text message to physical attacks.

Meanwhile, a series of suicides by victims of school bullies has intensified demands for a renewed crackdown on the problem.

The guidance will encourage schools to record all incidents of bullying and report the figures to their local council.

This will help keep track of levels of bullying and expose schools with 'weak or ineffective' strategies to stamp it out.

In June, the Department for Education said: "The revised anti-bullying guidance will advise schools to develop the different roles that pupils can play in responding to incidents of bullying.

"One of the ways to involve pupils is to encourage them to have a say about the disciplinary sanction regime of their school and suggest suitable sanctions for bullies.

"This will ensure pupils view sanctions as fair and will make them feel they have an influence over tackling the issue."