Hudson Valley Parent

I DON'T WANT TO RIDE THE BUS! 5 steps to help your child handle school bus bullies By: MARCIA SZYMANSKI to talk to them. Ask about their experience riding the bus as part of routine conversations. Make sure they know the rules and expectations regarding their own behavior and ways to avoid caving in to peer pressure. Even if you do not suspect your kids are being bullied, it's important to help them understand the difference between tattling and speaking out for what is right. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the following behaviors may be indicators that your child is being bullied: Unexplained physical injuries Lost or broken personal items Loss of friends Changes in eating patterns Unexplained headaches or stomach aches 3.Get to know the bus driver On the first day of kindergarten Sean doesn't think about being bullied as he boards the bus with his mom at his side. A s this new school year begins, many parents watch their children board those yellow buses with little cause for concern. Unfortunately, for some children, the school bus ride can be fraught with danger. With long rides, unstructured time and only one adult on board, the school bus is often a place where bullying runs rampant. According to the U.S. Department of Education almost 10 percent of bullying occurs on a school bus. With such statistics, what's a parent to do? 1. Understand what constitutes bullying The U.S. Department of Education defines bullying as unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. This behavior is then repeated or has the potential to be repeated. Bullying behaviors may 24 Hudson Valley Parent include threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally and excluding someone from a group on purpose. The good news is that New York State enacted the Dignity for All Students Act in 2012. This act mandates that schools provide safe and supportive environments free from discrimination and harassment on school property and at schoolsponsored events. The discrimination is based on a person's actual or perceived differences, including race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or sex. With the passage of the Dignity for All Students Act, school districts can no longer minimize bullying as kids just being kids. 2. Know the warning signs The easiest way to discover if your children are being bullied is September 2013 Dan Shornstein, principal at Titusville Intermediate School in Poughkeepsie, has received kudos for his proactive methods of maintaining appropriate bus behavior. Shornstein recommends that all parents cultivate a relationship with their child's bus driver. "Learn his name and make sure the driver knows your child's name," he says. "This person can be invaluable in helping students interpret what's happening around them and when further action may be needed." If there are problematic behaviors on your child's bus and the students involved have received an appropriate warning, it's the driver's responsibility to write up a disciplinary referral, thereby creating a paper trail, which is then submitted to the school principal for review. "The students involved come in for conflict resolution," says Shornstein. "Sometimes, a resolution is as simple as separating two students who simply cannot be together." When several students

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