BUS SAFETY
The school bus incident in Belleville has set a lot of people on
edge. Unfortunately, the school bus is the ideal location for a
bully. Supervision is minimal, usually only the bus driver! Since
the bus driver’s main job is to drive the bus, he/she cannot react
to every incident that occurs. Bullies on a bus know this and
realize that their targets have nowhere to retreat from their
verbal or physical attacks. We must realize that students who are
bullied may not want to tell an adult for fear of being labeled a
tattle tale or a baby. It’s important, then, that adults recognize
the signs of bullying. If your child does not want to ride the bus,
deliberately misses the bus, or has things missing when he/she had
ridden the bus, you will want to investigate further. A parent’s
initial reaction may be to swoop in and take care of the situation
and protect their child from further bullying; however, since a
parent cannot be by their child’s side every second, they can arm
their children in other ways.
Parents and caregivers should follow these tips that are provided
by the LoveToKnow Safety website: Sit as close to the bus driver as
possible; sit on the right hand side so they are in better view of
the driver; kids should not fight back as it will make the
situation worse; tell any adult about bus bullying, and teach kids
to report if they observe anyone else being bullied on the bus.
Germantown has taken a strong anti-bullying stance. It is a growing
concern among parents and educators alike. Through recognizing the
signs of bullying, teaching students the best way to react to it,
getting involved with anti-bullying campaigns, we are on the right
track to a bully-free environment. If you would like to read more
on this topic, visit: http://safety.lovetoknow.com
