The school day is meant to be a time of learning, friendship, and growth. But for many kids, this time away from home can be filled with bullying and harassment from their peers – in the classroom, on the playground, and on the school bus.  

For many children and adolescents, the effects of bullying can extend beyond school, affecting their mental health, academic success, and physical well-being, and can even stay with individuals long into adulthood. Understanding the impacts of bullying – and knowing what we, as caregivers, can do to support the children in our lives – can help us tackle bullying and protect the safety and well-being of all students. 

What Bullying Can Look Like 

Bullying is more than just “kids being mean,” and takes many forms: physical aggression, verbal abuse, exclusion, rumor-spreading, and cyberbullying. Yet despite how common it is, many children never tell an adult when it’s happening.  

• Nearly 1 in 5 high school students in grades 9-12 report being bullied on school property in the past year.  
• Among students ages 12-18 who were bullied at school, about 21.6% were bullied through text messages or social media.  
• Bullying is most prevalent in middle school (approximately 26.3%) compared to high school (about 15.7%).  
• Girls report higher rates of being bullied than boys (roughly 21.8% vs. 16.7%). 

Seeing the Signs: Awareness & Prevention

For many children, being repeatedly targeted can chip away at their sense of safety and belonging, with research showing that bullied students are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, or loneliness. For teachers, school bus drivers, caregivers, and even peers, being present with the students in our lives can make all the difference.  

• When school-based awareness programs are implemented, instances of bullying drop by over 20 percent.  
• Bullying often happens in front of others. A study found that when bystanders intervene, the harassment ends within seconds.  
• Awareness and prevention programs for age ranges 11 years and older have shown the greatest effectiveness in some studies, while the National Center for Education Statistics has shown an overall decrease in school bullying in recent years. 
• Communication is key. When students see that the adults in their lives take bullying seriously, they may feel more comfortable speaking up when something feels wrong. 

Across the STA Family, our drivers are trained to cultivate an environment of empathy and respect on the school bus to help prevent bullying before it begins. Drivers are guided to model kindness, set clear expectations for behavior, and give students structured opportunities to practice empathy. This includes our School Bus Hero Program, as well as our “Fueled by Kindness” initiative, where drivers can thank students who show kindness to their fellow passengers by rewarding them with small gifts from a prize box kept on the bus.   

Our Mindfulness & De-escalation Guide is a tool to help drivers and monitors seeking thoughtful ways to support the students in their care – but it can also be a great resource for teachers, parents, and others who work with children, and includes prevention tips, mindfulness exercises, a self-assessment checklist, and links to additional resources.  

Looking to the Future 

Bullying often hides in plain sight, and for many children, the pain of being bullied goes unnoticed – not because adults don’t care, but because the signs can be subtle, and kids often struggle to talk about what’s happening.  

But the message is clear: bullying is not a harmless part of growing up. It’s a serious public health issue that demands attention and empathy. By creating open channels of communication, teaching empathy, and fostering inclusive school communities, parents, teachers, bus drivers, and peers can all play a part in stopping the cycle.