Bullish on Combating Bullying

The school bus is no safe haven for those who are victimized, so the onus falls on a school-wide system to offer protection

By Julie Metea

In late March, Fayetteville Public Schools in Arkansas became the national epicenter of the school bus bullying issue.

Using graphic photos of 16-year-old Billy Wolf’s bruised face, video of a school bus brawl and prints of cyber bullying on social networking Web site Facebook.com, the Wolfe family told their story to the nation through the New York Times, the NBC “Today Show” and “Dateline NBC.” And they started a flurry of Internet debate about Billy’s plight, and bullying in general.

Wolfe and his family filed a civil lawsuit against an 18-year-old schoolmate and accomplices for bullying. A lawsuit against the school district was expected to follow.

“I want to make a point. I want to stop it completely,” said Wolfe, who spoke to School Transportation News on his way home from TV appearances in New York. He said one of the first assaults was on a school bus, and the driver didn’t help. From there, the bullying escalated to the bus stop and elsewhere.

Attorney Westbrook Doss said the Wolfe family tried to stop years of bullying by relying on school district policy and the law.

“The school, parents and bullies have not responded to this. All of the bullies say Billy brought it upon himself,” said Doss.

The school district contends it used well-disseminated policies and procedures that encourage the community to report bullying. To date, it has documented 153 cases of misconduct with suspensions, according to Fayetteville Schools spokesman Alan Wilbourn.

“We try to prevent it. It involves a lot of time around all schools. We have to deal with it fairly. There are two sides to a story,” said Wilbourn, who couldn’t address the Wolfe case specifically due to privacy issues.

“Bullying is not a rite of passage,” added Doss. “This is a total system failure.”

On the Bully Lookout
Newspaper headlines around the nation and world echo other bullying incidents leading to injury, lawsuits and even death.

“Unfortunately, more people want to blame the victims than deal with the bullies,” said Allan Beane, president of Bully Free Systems LLC and author of “The Bully Free Bus Program.” “We need to be aware of what is driving the bullies and deal with those motives and possible causes. Don’t retaliate. School systems must adopt an anti-bullying program and train the transportation staff. It is everyone’s responsibility to stop bullying, not just the drivers.”

Buses are the second most frequent location of bullying behind the playground, according to BJC School Outreach. The school bus is noted for serious bullying incidents, and a contributing factor can be drivers who aren’t always able to deal with conflict while safely operating the vehicle.

Approximately 30 percent of youth in the United States report moderate to frequent bullying, according to Dr. Dan Olweus, who is recognized as an international pioneer in bully/victim research. A vast number of additional victims are not likely using any reporting channels.

Bullying is defined as when someone is repeatedly and purposely victimized. The criteria: the inappropriate behavior was intentional; the behavior was hurtful; the mistreatment is persistent; and there is a power imbalance.

Victims are teased, harassed, assaulted or socially rejected via rumors and lies. With technology, bullying is becoming more intense and prevalent through hateful messages posted on the Internet. The bullied child could suffer a lifetime of damage — constant fear, low performance or aggression.

Bullies also run a higher risk of becoming criminals or misuse of alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Sixty percent of boys who bully others in elementary school had criminal records by age 24, according to Olweus.

Health and education professionals point to the dangers of these cases and fear escalating damage. An alarming pattern was detected in the fateful incidents at Virginia Tech and Columbine High School: the shooters all had characteristics of both bullies and the bullied. They were also victims, and as a result they lived in rage until they snapped.

“It’s about power over an individual,” said Elizabeth Coyle, an education lecturer at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. “Some bullies have high self esteem and feed off power. Some have low self esteem and feel powerless at home. Others are very good until the moment they are least supervised — like on a bus.”

Spot Checks in Change
There are pockets of vigilant states and school districts that have instituted strong anti-bullying policies. Watchdog Group Bully Police USA, www.bullypolice.org, gives 34 states passing grades with the rest marked as “failing.”

With the highest rank (A++), Delaware requires each school district to develop a bullying program with specific standards and report incidents to the state’s Department of Education.

Some states have taken an extra step in developing anti-bullying programs specifically for school transportation. In Utah, the state-certified Instructor Curriculum Committee distributed a one-hour presentation to all school bus drivers. In its second year, it’s being credited for stopping two serious cases of bullying on the school bus.

In New York, the department of education has anti-bullying recommendations. If violated, the department could use the full extent of the law. Safety reviews are conducted statewide, and best practices are shared among school transportation departments.

“As a transportation department, you can do a lot with your drivers to keep your kids safe,” said Peter Lawrence, transportation director at Fairport School District near Rochester, N.Y., and a presenter at the 2008 STN EXPO on anti-bullying practices for school bus drivers. “If your district doesn’t have the latest program, do a lot with a little research and start training. Don’t ignore bullying.”

Finding a Fit
A simple Internet search will turn up hundreds of anti-bullying resources. The best programs define all parties involved — victims, bullies, bystanders and authorities — and prescribe their roles.

“People first tend to put a no-tolerance system in place, and this doesn’t work. Don’t punish, educate,” said Mary Harrison, executive director of Wisconsin-based Children’s Promise, a conflict resolution group. “The best way is to set policy and training. That begins the change.”

A school system-wide approach is the most recommended action. Some recommend integrating it into a risk management plan and regularly testing the system with community involvement.

“It’s best to first target elementary school through sixth grade. Teach everyone how to report and intervene,” said Dorothy Dubia of the Committee for Children, a non-profit group that developed the violence prevention curriculum SECOND STEP. “We need to unify against bullying.”

Metea is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to STN based outside of Detroit.