A boy in my daughter’s 7th-grade class has been carrying around a notebook with lists of the grade’s “couples.” Some of these couples are real — boys and girls who like each other and are, inasmuch as this happens in 7th grade, “dating.” Some are creations of his imagination.

The boy is accepting bribes from classmates who don’t want to be “outed” as being part of a (real or imaginary) couple. Should he be punished? And if so, how? And by whom?

— Eavesdropper