Bullying and Violence on the School Bus: Perspectives of Transportation Directors on Behavioral Management Strategies

• In Event: Strategies to Enhance School Climate and Student Safety: Enhanced Mental Health Services and Bullying Prevention

Abstract

Many students throughout the U.S. spend considerable time each day riding the bus to and from school, under conditions that are often less controlled than at school. Studies have shown that the school bus is one of the leading locations for bullying, fighting, and other potentially harmful forms of child misbehavior. In response, school districts are implementing various strategies for managing student behavior on the school bus. Little is known, however, regarding the use of these strategies or their effectiveness. The National Institute of Justice funded RTI International to better understand what school districts are currently doing to control students’ behavior on the bus. Preliminary results are presented from in-depth interviews with transportation directors describing how various behavioral management strategies are selected and implemented on school buses in different types of U.S. school districts (e.g., surveillance technology, bus monitors, training programs for drivers and students); effective or ineffective strategies for preventing or controlling bullying, violence, and other types of misbehavior; challenges; and lessons learned. Information received regarding the types of behavioral management strategies used by districts is organized into a theoretical taxonomy.

Authors

• Joshua A. Hendrix, RTI International

• Alana Henninger, RTI International

• Erin Kennedy, RTI International

• James Trudeau, RTI International