INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS: TOP STORY
technique that fits all situations. “Each situation has its own unique qualities, but the one thing you can control is your own behavior. Stay calm. Behavior affects behavior,” said Keith, who presented a seminar on the topic at the 2012 STN EXPO. “Often, what you put out is what you get back. If you want respect, you have to put respect out there.” She continued: “A lot of times we re- hearse in our heads what we want to say. It may sound very, very good in our head, but if I say it sarcastically, in a condescending way or I’m yelling, it has a negative effect. Really pay attention to how you sound and what you look like. Tose two things have much more impact than what you say.” Brooks, who also presented on de-escala-
tion techniques at the STN EXPO last July, has created a number of awareness courses for teachers, administrators and drivers. He added that bus drivers cannot simply walk away from a situation. “If you’re forced to deal with something
TURNING WRITTEN BY ERIC WOOLSON
adults, two security experts emphasized to STN that bus drivers and monitors must remain continuously aware of their actions as well as what others are doing on or around the vehicle. Even as a driver has his or her eyes on the
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road, something as simple as being attuned to a rising noise level on board could help head off a conflict in the making. Bret Brooks, a full-time law enforcement officer and senior consultant with Gray Ram Tacti- cal, LLC, based in Higginsville, Mo., noted that observing body language is essential to recognizing and defusing an escalating situation. “If you’re shopping in a store and you
see someone has a gun or knife, you’re not going to go down that aisle because you rec-
14 School Transportation News January 2014
hen it comes to de- escalating potentially dangerous situations involving students or
ognize the situation. It’s equally important to understand the indicators of violence,” he said. “When you pick up on them, you can see, ‘Tis is going downhill very quickly.’ Te signs are verbal and nonverbal.” Some obvious indicators include
clenched fists and finger pointing. More subtle signs include dropping the chin, flared nostrils, breathing changes or invad- ing the other person’s personal space. A change in eye contact — either an increase or decrease from the average 30 to 60 per- cent that is typical among most Americans — is another potential warning sign. “If someone’s entering your personal
space, that’s a warning sign, but it’s not one or two things. You have to look at cluster- ing,” he explained. Brooks and Susan Keith, program devel- oper/global professional instructor with the Crisis Prevention Institute in Milwaukee, agreed that there is no single de-escalation
DOWN THE HEAT THERE’S NO MAGIC WAND TO EXTINGUISHING A POTENTIAL CONFRONTATION, SO REMAINING COOL, CALM AND IN CONTROL WHEN IN THE LINE OF FIRE IS KEY
right now and you need to de-escalate it, the first step is to try to interrupt the aggressor,” he said. “Nobody likes to be interrupted, so it can be tricky. You need to take steps to peacefully interrupt, listening and waiting for a break. Speak softly and in a monotone.”
He noted that non-verbal de-escalation is just as important as the verbal variety. “If the driver’s chin is down, eyes are
fixed and arms are crossed, the kid is not going to respond. If the driver’s arms are outstretched, palms are up and eyes are wide open, that’s sending a signal, ‘I’m here for you and I care for you,’” he added. Keith recommended drivers and monitors
work hard to connect with each child. “If you have rapport with kids, you’re un-
likely to see serious issues or, if you do, you’ll have more success with them. Know your kids to the best of your abilities. Establish rapport,” she advised. “Te main point of having rapport with the child is that it will allow you to access the student as they enter the bus. You’ll know their baseline behavior and be able to tell their emotional state.” She said building rapport also enables the student to trust their drivers more and, as a result, the student might open up and ver- balize if there is a situation, such as bullying, that is causing them or another student to feel undue stress. In the event a situation is already escalat- ing out of control, Brooks explained there is value in understanding what triggered a situation in the first place.
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