School Transport Safety Week highlights dangers faced by children on the school run

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Kidscape, the anti-bullying charity and BUSK, UK’s leading provider of advice and training for safer child road transport, have joined forces to raise awareness of the risks children face on their journey to and from school, and how to keep safe from harm.

School Transport Safety Week, running from 24th-28th September aims to highlight concerns and offer advice on how to travel safety on the school run.

School Transport Safety Week is supported by campaigner Paul Vodden, whose son, Ben, took his life while experiencing bullying on the school bus in 2006.

Bullying on the journey to and from school is a major concern for children and parents alike and is often seen to be harder to tackle as millions of children travel to and from school unsupervised. The Vodden report, released in 2014, found that more than half of children had witnessed or experienced troubling incidents such as bullying and physical harm on school buses. The vast majority (78%) of bus and coach drivers have received no training or advice in how to handle bullying, despite 67% having witnessed bullying.

The aim of the newly-launched awareness week is to show parents, children and those who work with children how to stay safe on the school run. Solutions and help are available.

BUSK provide CPC training to bus and coach drivers in ensuring safety on buses. Kidscape provide direct support and advice to children and families affected by bullying. The organisations came together to work on School Transport Safety Week due to mutual concerns about bullying and other safety concerns faced by children on their daily journey to and from school.

To mark the safety week, Kidscape’s CEO Lauren Seager-Smith has produced advice for families on the school run.

Pat Harris, Director of BUSK says:

“Bullying on the school run needs to be tackled properly. The new partnership between BUSK and Kidscape focuses are joint expertise and provides an ideal opportunity for schools and local authorities to work alongside us to ensure children in their care are protected.”

Lauren Seager-Smith, CEO of Kidscape says:

“Bullying does not begin and end when the school bell rings. Many children experience or fear bullying as they travel to and from school, which is absolutely unacceptable. We’re delighted to be working with BUSK on School Transport Safety Week to raise awareness of the help available to make sure that every child has a safe journey to and from school, free from abuse, bullying and harm.”

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