The following information is provided as general information. Many District School Boards have policies and procedures in place for dealing with difficult riders, and these take priority over other factors.

If a process is not already in place, the operator, driver, school and District School Board may wish to work on developing a process jointly. Following are some suggestions to consider.

The driver should try to resolve issues on the bus, using positive approaches to promote the principles of safety, order and respect. The process for dealing with unacceptable behavior should be laid out in written form. Drivers should ensure that unacceptable behavior is fully documented. For chronic problems, the following guidelines may help:

First offence:

Verbal warning. The driver warns the student that the behavior is unacceptable and records the warning. A "sample script" might follow this format:

"What are you doing?"

"What are the rules on this bus?"

"What happens when you break the rules?"

"Do you want that to happen?"

"Where do you want to sit, in your own seat or at the front of the bus?"

"What will happen the next time you break the rules?"

If the child avoids answering a question, repeat it calmly. If the child persists in not dealing with you, or if the unacceptable behavior persists, ask:

"Do you want to stay where you are or move to the front of the bus?"

If the student does not comply, follow up with:

"I see you have chosen the front seat."

Require the child to sit in the front seat of the bus. This way of dealing with unacceptable behavior should be time-limited: if the child behaves properly for a set period of time, the child may, at the discretion of the driver, return to his or her own seat, or move back to his or her seat in stages.

Second Offence:

The driver completes a "student behavior report." This report may be found in the back of the logbook, or operators may have developed their own forms.

This form is submitted to the principal of the school for follow-up. It outlines the unacceptable behavior. Once this course of action has been followed, it is important that the bus driver follow through by informing the school. If safety rules are not followed, and the bus driver is distracted, the safety and lives of other children as well as the motoring public is endangered.

Dealing with unacceptable behavior

* document unacceptable behavior. Write down the details: note the circumstances and provide the information to the school authorities, if possible on the day of occurrence. Keep a copy for your records.

* try to be proactive: develop a consistent plan for dealing with unacceptable behavior:

o Have the child write down

+ What they did

+ The school bus rule that was broken

+ How they will deal with the problem in the future

* do not make threats: if you say that a note will be given to the principal, follow through. Inconsistency will result in chaos.

* If it is necessary to eject a student from riding on the school bus, do so only into the hands of the parents, principal or police.

* learning students' names will help to build a relationship and to encourage students to take more responsibility for their behavior.

* If necessary, assign seats to separate students who may misbehave if allowed to interact

* making sure that the bus is clean will encourage good behavior

* do not lose your temper. This compromises your status as a professional.

* Always be consistent.