The Peaceful School Bus Program is neither a discipline program, nor is it training for school bus drivers. The program aims to change the social dynamics on the school bus by building strong, positive relationships among students (and the bus driver) and teaching students to take responsibility for their "bus route group" and what happens on the bus.

Bus route group: The group of students who regularly ride to and from school together on the bus.

The program also teaches students about bullying and their role in preventing it. The program achieves its goals by involving teachers, administrators, and parents in leading cooperative/ interactive lessons with each bus route group within the school building on a regular basis each year. The program also builds a stronger connection between the school bus drivers and school staff members.

The Peaceful School Bus Program is not a curriculum, but rather a program consisting of a series of meetings for each bus route group. These meetings teach concepts and skills, and also foster a sense of identity and community among bus route group members. The program also sends a strong, positive, and tangible message to students that adults in the school care about what happens on their bus.

This program can be implemented as a stand-alone program but would be even more effective as a supplement to a bullying prevention or violence prevention program such as the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. For more information on the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, please visit hazelden.org/olweus.

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