bully Archives - trackschoolbus

Bullying happens everywhere, but when it occurs in school buses it can be more dangerous because it is not possible for the child to move to a safer place.

A better understanding of bullying in school buses makes it possible to find or devise helpful solutions and protect the special needs students from being harmed by the bullies.

Why Bullies Often Choose the Bus

The school bus is the right place for bullies that want to pick on their peers. It is not an easy task to supervise the activities of every student at all times, especially if the bus driver is the only adult present in the bus.

When they are in the school bus, the special needs children cannot leave the situation, seek help, or protect themselves. Bullies know that nobody can quickly interfere and prevent them from bullying.

This encourages them to target helpless children that ride the school bus with them every day. This puts special needs children in a very vulnerable situation.

Signs of Bullying In School Bus

Students who are victims of bullying often are unwilling to seek help from adults. However, it is easy to make out from the common symptoms that many of them might display.

It is important, however, to keep in mind that all kids may react in the same manner when subjected to bullying and the reactions could be mild or severe.

Fear of riding the school bus or going to school
Looking for reasons to avoid travelling on the school bus
Coming to school or going back home with ripped clothes, losing things, or any other sign of abuse
Symptoms of anxiety or panic attacks that occur prior to boarding the school bus or in the mornings when getting ready to go on school days
Talking about a friend that is being bullied or referring to themselves being bullied
Avoiding similar situations, for example riding in cars along with many people

Special Needs Children Riding the School Bus

Among children with disabilities, those suffer from cerebral palsy are often bullied more than other special needs kids.

As these kids are especially vulnerable when riding the school bus, drivers have a key role to play in ensuring their safety on a daily basis. In fact, bus drivers can do a lot to prevent bullying.

Children suffering from cerebral palsy exhibit disabilities that vary from mild or moderate to severe. Such children often look different and may even find it difficult to get on to or off the school bus.

Children with severe disabilities may ride on a bus that is specially designed, but many mildly disabled children choose to ride with the normal kids. As their looks and movement are different, bullies often target these kids.

Special-Needs-Students-From-Getting-Bullied

The school bus may turn out to be a dangerous place for bully victims because they cannot escape and the bus driver cannot monitor everything that is going on behind him/her and stop the school bus for taking action.

How Can School Bus Drivers Protect Needs Students from Bullying

School staff, school admin, drivers, and parents are equally responsible for ensuring that special needs children are not bullied, but when they are riding the school bus the onus is on the driver.

Therefore, it is important to provide anti-bullying training to bus drivers. Apart from the training they receive and being part of the school-wide procedures and policies involving bullying, bus drivers can do a few other things and protect the special needs passengers:

1. Stop the bus safely so that they can react to bullying

When drivers sense that some random child is being bullied, they should stop the school bus at a safe place and then take assertive action. However, it is important that they remain calm.

2. Call the bully by his/her name

To stop bullying, the first action to be taken in most of the cases is approaching the bully in a calm manner and using his/her name to warn them verbally.

3. Call the officer in charge

If the verbal warning does not work, drivers should call the concerned officer in the school transportation department. This often helps to stop the bully.

4. Report all instances of bullying

It is of utmost importance that bus drivers report all incidents to authorities through the procedure outlined in the school’s policy. The availability of records makes it easy to handle the problem if it persists.

5. Drivers should get involved in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)

Drivers who take special needs kids to and from school on the bus should be made part of IEP meetings.

This will enable them to have a better understanding as to how they should deal with special needs kids, and the care to be provided as a person involved in their lives on a daily basis.

6. Follow clear and simple rules

School bus drivers should specify and follow some rules so that bullying does not happen during the ride to and from the school.

They should enforce these rules calmly and indicate as to what consequences the bullies will face if they fail to follow the rules. This goes a long way in preventing negative behaviours in the bus.

7. Reinforce positive behaviours

The best way to promote positive behaviours is by recognizing good deeds. Drivers should make an effort to get to know the students they are taking to and from school on a daily basis. This helps to foster better behaviours and positive relationships.

8. Ask for a paraprofessional in the bus or a camera system, as needed

If the bullying problem persists and the driver is not able to manage alone, additional steps may be required to be taken to keep the special needs student safe. The presence of a paraprofessional in the bus might be helpful in protecting the differently abled students.

A camera might also be helpful, but these solutions come with a cost. Schools can evaluate the current status and decide on the best possible option. Ensuring maximum protection to the special needs children should be the ultimate goal of the concerned authorities.

Final Thoughts

School-Bus-Drivers-Can-Protect-Special-Needs-Students-From-Getting-Bullied — Image Credits: AngelSense

Bullying on school buses is actually a serious problem and bus drivers can contribute a lot to prevent the same. There is no doubt that they have to drive safely, but they also should create and maintain a positive and safe environment.

If a bus driver feels that he/she is not adequately equipped to deal with the problem of bus bullying, then they should talk to concerned authorities and get trained in dealing with special needs children and implementing anti-bullying policies.

How to respond to bullying on the school bus? Learn about the different practices drivers can take to protect special needs students from getting bullied. school-bus-drivers-protect-special-needs-students-bullied

Bullying is a fundamental problem in most of the school. There are chances that kids are being bullied by their peers at school. There are instances where this goes unnoticed by the school and the parents.

This is a major problem that needs to be addressed so that the victims don’t suffer the aftermath of it throughout their lives.

The question is how exactly the parent can be notified about an instance of bullying and how they can stop it from happening.

Many schools have anti-bullying laws that are framed to curb the bullying that happens while at school or inside the school buses. More than 25 percent of the youth has reported that they have been bullied in some way or other.

Let us have a look at the things parents can do to protect their child from being bullied at school.

1) Communicate with the Child

It is important to communicate with the child regarding bullying. They might conceal the fact that they are being bullied by their peers at school.

Without open communication it is not possible to know whether your child is being bullied or not. This is because children might not tell an adult that he is experiencing bullying.

2) Peer Relationships

Children must be taught about peer relationship. They are going to share the same space with other children while they are at school.

Children can be asked about the kind of experience they are having with their peers.

Direct questions like ‘do you have friends at school’ or ‘how are the other kids at school’ will compel the kids to answer to your queries about how they are being treated by other kids at school.

3) Talk about Bullying

It is not just fine but necessary to talk to your kids about bullying. Tell them about the kind of bullies they might come across at school.

Narrate to them experiences that they might come across while dealing with bullies. Ask them to notify their teachers or tell parents if they come across anything such as that.

4) Cyber bullying

Bullying might not happen just at school. There are chances that your kid is being bullied online. The best way to find it is to closely monitor their online activities.

This doesn’t mean to spy on them but sit with them and take part in their online activities. If you find anything unusual you can ask them about it. In case they don’t reply you can still have a fair idea about their life with their peers.

5) Encourage empathy

Tell them the importance of how it feels like to be in the shoes of another person.

This is important to see to it that your own child is not taking part in any event of bullying. If your child report to you that one child is being bullied at school, tell them how the other person might be feeling.

This is also nurtures a sense of courage to stand up for the weaker ones.

6) Respond Well

If your child tells you that he/she is being bullied at school or in school bus , respond well to it. Tell them that you are there to stand beside with them. Listen to them well and be supportive to them if they are a victim to bullying.

7) Keep a Good Rapport with the School

It is important to keep up a good rapport with the school authorities. Ask the teacher of your pupil how active he/she is at school and how well he is he getting along with other children.

If the bullying happens at school give all support to the school authorities to resolve the problem. Provide emotional support to the child and tell them they don’t deserve it and that you will be there to back them up.

8) Teach Your children to be Proactive

Let them deal with their issues themselves. Even though you would stand up for them it is important for them to learn to stand up for themselves.

Teach them how to practice this so that they can deal a situation themselves. Teach your child to be assertive but not offensive.

9) Express Concern

Ensure that you express concern when dealing with an issue. There is a high probability that they will look up to their parents when they are facing an issue they can’t solve by themselves.

All they expect from you is a little concern so express it. It can bring about a great change in their confidence levels.

10) Make Your Kid Bold

Bullies usually target kids who are more vulnerable. If your kid is smart but vulnerable to bullying from other kids you have to help him/her to be more bold.

Let them practice this at home so that they can face the situation all by themselves.

11) Know your child rights

Children are sometimes picked for matters like colour, race, religion, disabilities, weight, age, sex, etc. Children have rights, know them.

If your child is receiving constant harassment or intimidation from their peers you may resort to things legally. The schools are bound to follow uniform standards of conduct. Therefore schools can’t turn a blind eye towards bullying.

12) Social Skills

Teach your child social skills that are necessary to mingle with social groups. Teach them how to make good friends so that they are not alone at school. Little role-plays can help them understand this.

This can teach them how to get along with a game that is played at school. Make sure that you encourage your kids to be part of groups and join clubs that they enjoy.

Tag: bully

How School Bus Drivers Can Protect Special Needs Students From Getting Bullied

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