BusPatrol America on How Technology Can Help Monitor Children’s Behaviors Inside the School Bus

The school bus is a big part of children’s academic lives. These 20-30-minute rides going to and from the school represents many interactions between children over the years. This seemingly small portions of time is crucial for us to watch over and guide children with their behaviors.

Why is bus bullying so common?

We see bus bullying in typical movie scenes, and yet it has been a problem that is often overlooked. Bus bullying is common because of this simple thought–troublemakers know that there is less supervision! A confined space where a diverse group of students interact with one another, with no adults to intervene, is a recipe for bullying to happen. Children who have tendencies to bully view it as an opportunity to get the upper hand without being reprimanded by teachers or guidance counselors.

Various incidents inside the school bus

In 2018, a viral video surfaced after a 7-year-old boy was bullied inside a school bus. The taunting and bullying lasted for over 4 minutes and sent an uproar towards concerned parents. The school district was led to investigate the video. The lack of resources and manpower to monitor the students’ behaviors inside the bus may lead to psychological and emotional scars that may damage a child for life.

These incidents, along with others which are not documented, may easily be prevented when school buses have the technology they need for supervision. It is very challenging for school staff members to monitor children’s behavior in a confined space through conventional means. According to BusPatrol, a company that specializes in school bus safety, there are several ways that technology can aid in monitoring children’s behaviors.

A step-by-step process can be created for a more harmonious and organized bus experience for children going to and from school.

Conversion of regular buses into smart buses

BusPatrol advocates the technology used for smart buses in the prevention of bus bullying. Smart buses are equipped with the following equipment: GPS, video, telemetry, data processing and archiving. These all work together to monitor movements and behaviors inside the bus and in the surrounding area.

Through the conversion of regular buses to smart buses, staff members will have an efficient experience monitoring children’s behavior during the entire driving period. They can stop incidents that may happen in real-time and would have the opportunity to intervene even before negative occurrences start.

Integration of tools for easy monitoring

The second step in the process is the integration of the various technologies within the converted smart bus. The tools that can be used to watch over children’s behaviors within the school bus are the interior cameras, data processing and archiving. The interior cameras are able to record angles where all seats can be viewed clearly, depending on the needs of the school district and the type of the bus being converted.

Innovators emphasize the importance of customizability for better integration of equipment. As this technology is applied, interior cameras can be custom fit to suit the needs of the school. All cameras can record real-time situations in various angles as well.

Connectivity from hardware to software

Speaking of catching real-time occurrences, this technology also allows bringing data directly from the hardware to the software. It is an integrated system that allows administrators to monitor the safety of the children inside and within the vicinity of the bus.

This video data is essential for recording violations of the Stop-Arm outside the bus as well as potential proof for incidents between students. The hardware itself has 22 days’ worth of recording, and it can transmit the information to a removable disk drive for backup. Now, administrators do not have to worry about the lack of visual evidence on incidents inside the school bus. When children know they are being monitored, they will be less likely to cause conflict.

Reviewing of recorded data by school authorities and law enforcement

The seamless data recording, processing, and archiving system allow for easy access and review of school bus incidents.

When cases are reviewed, it can be a great reference for authorities to create a verdict. This appears to be a more efficient way of handling incidents without prejudice and relying too much on witness statements. Additionally, reviewing recorded videos of bus incidents can also provide insight into what really happened in order to make sound judgment towards perpetrators.

This is a simple process that school districts can introduce to parents so that they can be confident in their child’s safety inside the bus. Indeed, technology provides many advantages not only for the safety of children going inside and outside the bus. It also poses great potential for behavior management within the school bus.