Ironically, overly harsh consequences are often imposed because detection is lacking. If you can't reliably detect infringing behaviour to impose a fair consequence, you have to ramp up the severity of the consequence imposed when you do detect an infringement in order to maintain deterrence.

Maybe the creep towards surveillance everywhere will help with this? Get a bit of AI in there and school bullying is solved.

A sarcastic suggestion.

Surveillance will come one way or another I think. When it does, the best we can do is ensure it is used for the benefit of all.

It's easy to imagine a school with cameras in every hall, and when it benefits those in power, the "tapes are pulled", but when it might help a pleb, it's too much of a hassle to pull the tapes.