FRISCO, Texas — School transportation professionals face unique challenges in keeping students safe from sexual abuse, especially those who have disabilities.

“Students are at greater risk of sexual abuse during transportation due to factors like access, privacy, and power dynamics,” explained Christy Schiller, the vice president of consulting for abuse prevention firm Praesidium during a Sunday general session at TSD Conference. “Drivers and aides have a lot of unsupervised contact with students, and there are often opportunities for privacy that predators can exploit.”

Schiller has over 30 years of experience in this field. She emphasized the importance of strategic supervision.

“If you’re not exhausted at the end of the day from vigilantly monitoring students, you’re not doing it right,” she added.

The session covered statistics on the scope of the problem, the dynamics of both adult-to-student and student-to-student abuse, and practical strategies student transportation providers can implement to mitigate these risks. Schiller urged attendees to also educate parents on the warning signs and importance of prevention.

“This abuse is preventable if we’re proactive about creating the safest possible environment,” Schiller said. “Student transportation providers play a critical role in protecting this vulnerable population.”

Related: Psychologist Shares How to Navigate Problematic Sexual Behaviors on School Bus

The discussion focused on enhancing abuse prevention and safety culture in organizations. That includes training and retraining staff to ensure that no actions with students can be misconstrued.

“Just because an adult shows a red flag behavior does not necessarily mean they’re grooming a student. It may just mean we need to remind them that we have a new normal now,” she added.

Meanwhile, she addressed the evolution of understanding grooming tactics, moving away from the “dangerous stranger” framework to recognizing the “skilled predator.” Schiller shared research indicating that survivors often reported an average of 14 unique grooming behaviors prior to the abuse occurring.

“It’s very common that we see these behaviors, I would argue, though not all of these behaviors have the same type of intent,” she noted.

Schiller emphasized the importance of conducting thorough background checks and screening, not only for transportation staff but volunteers who may have high levels of access to students.

“When there’s an incident, the plaintiff’s attorneys are saying, we want to see their personnel file, and so documenting that you have screened, you’ve talked to former employers” is crucial.

The discussion also highlighted the need for training on boundaries, separating the behavior from the person, and proactively monitoring high-risk situations. “If we can manage boundaries, we’re going to prevent a lot of abuse because we want to interrupt those behaviors early, and we want to teach people to separate the person from the behavior,” Schiller said.

She emphasized that creating a supportive environment where staff feel comfortable reporting concerns without fear of repercussions is essential. By addressing these issues, schools and districts can work to ensure the safety and well-being of students while fostering a culture of trust and accountability.

Parental involvement is also important, she said, in setting boundaries and reporting concerns as is the need for swift, compassionate responses to allegations, and the role of leadership in maintaining vigilance.

The conversation highlighted the challenges of “pass the trash” laws, which rely on self-disclosure by job applicants that they have not been previously charged or accused but perhaps not convicted of a prior crime, and emphasized the necessity of thorough screening processes and continuous monitoring. Schiller also discussed the importance of a culture that values safety, clear standards, and effective communication across all levels and with external partners was underscored, along with the necessity of addressing the forgetting curve to sustain safety initiatives.

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Related: Former Massachusetts School Bus Driver Facing Charges of Sexual Assault
Related: New York School Bus Aide Accused of Sexual Assault

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