The news about James Jones boarding his daughter’s bus to confront some kids who were bullying her is all over the place. Every parent has the fear of it happening, and to a large degree, most kids will have to deal with it personally at some point.
According to the HRSA, 15-25% of kids are bullied with some frequency.
While Jones went a bit far boarding a bus and threatening children, I’ve personally felt enraged when I learn that someone is making my child afraid.
I’m not sure why it happens so frequently on the bus—but I have some personal experience that it does. Most likely, it’s because there is a lack of structure, the only adult supervisor is driving and can’t deal with every issue (or even hear every conversation). And while many bus drivers are great with the kids they drive, I’m guessing most of them aren’t taught the skills of detecting and intervening in bullying situations. We choose to drive our kids to school rather than take the bus if there’s ever any hint of bullying or abuse happening to our kids.
Like most solutions to problems at school, there really are two approaches that both need to be taken: communication and education of your own children, and doing all you can to make the environment your children is safe.
Stop Bullying Now is a great resource for both parents and kids who are dealing with bullying. There are lots of resources available to get educate, role play, and get involved with your school and community to take a stand.
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