47% of public school students ride the school bus to and from school. Growing violence to students riding the bus concerns parents about the safety of their child on the local school bus system. School fights and violence seem to be spreading over from school day to the school bus. The rising number of students that have their own cell phone allows students to text message and call their friends to meet students at the bus stop and continue the violence even after exiting the school bus.

Without a Doubt Public School Buses Need Safer Standards!

440,000 public school buses each year serve more than 24 million students!

How do we help to solve the violence on our public school buses?

Follow up:

Experts believe that training opportunities for bus drivers should be required and allow drivers to learn more strategies for managing student behavior.

Students claim that if a bus driver establishes a bond with the students then the overall behavior of the students on the bus is much more positive. Therefore, working to develop a positive environment at school and on the school bus would improve the school bus experience and safety for all on the bus.

If your child rides the school bus check and see if bus-safety includes:

1. Assigned seats for children creating trouble

2. System to address negative behavior by following up with consequences

3. Positive behavior should be recognize and praised

4. Parent need to be encouraged to meet the bus driver

5. Positive steps to enforce good behavior, not only negative punishments

6. Bus drivers should be allowed in the classrooms allowing students to relate
to the bus driver in a different environment

7. Provide troublemakers with opportunities to become positive leaders / peacemakers

There is a direct link between school bus violence and violence on campus. The school community should foster teaching safety and respect. Educating kids about the differences of bullying.... such as verbal, emotional, gender, cyber and physical bullying.

Once students have been clearly shown the information about bullying then the school community must outline and enforce clear consequences for any misbehavior.