School Bus Initiation School

Like home, work, coffee with friends or a date, the school bus is as quiet as a mouse because of cellphones. It was not always like that.

The first ride on a school bus for kids used to be in parents’ cars or walking to school, can be intimidating. Twenty pairs of eyes glued on the new kid on the block, sometimes even in the country. Depending on age and kind of school, the school bus can be a welcome mat, where new kids are received by kind souls. School movies have always been about kind souls squaring up to bullies trying to intimidate smaller or new kids.

There are physical bullies, there are mental bullies. If they are on the bus, it can be an initiation school for damaging habits or erosion of self esteem. Parents build self esteem to prepare kids for the ‘alone’ world out there. Some bullies are bent on eroding it.

Parents’ advice about rough school bus initiation, vary. Some want kids to tell them about it, so they can confront school authorities. Others advise kids to report bullies to school counselors or teachers. Most kids don’t like this option, for fear of escalating the bullying or being called wimps, so they bottle it inside.

Bullying on the school bus is seldom physical because of school regulations, so parents avoid the ‘He hits you. You hit him back’ advice. What most parents do is to bullet proof kids mentally to neutralize the school bus bully.

Deion Sanders, also known as Coach Prime is the definitive ambidextrous sportsman. He excels in both baseball and football. He always says: ‘Don’t’ let my confidence offend your insecurity.’ Bullies are insecure.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.