The Secret to Finland’s Success in Preventing Bullying in Schools with the KiVa Program – How can bullying in schools be prevented? The recent rise in bullying cases has become a serious problem that threatens children. In our beloved country, several bullying cases have even gone viral and attracted public condemnation.
However, amidst these challenges, Finland, a country in Northern Europe, has found a revolutionary solution: the KiVa Program.
This program doesn’t just focus on punishing the perpetrators and supporting the victims. What exactly is this program like?
The KiVa Program, a Method for Preventing Bullying in Schools from Education in Finland
KiVa stands for “Kiusaamista Vastaan,” which means “against bullying.” Launched in 2009, KiVa has proven successful in reducing bullying rates in its home country.
The initiator is no joke. This program is a program from the University of Turku led by Professor Christina Salmivalli with the support of a research team consisting of Sanna Herkama, Elisa Poskiparta, Annarilla Ahtola, and Anne Haataja.
Preventing Bullying in Schools with KiVa
Unlike traditional approaches that focus solely on punishing perpetrators, KiVa adopts a more integrated approach, namely:
1. Early Education
KiVa begins with early education so that even 7-year-old students understand what bullying is and why its impact is so devastating. Children will be trained to recognize various forms of bullying, empathize with victims, and respond appropriately when witnessing bullying.
2. Structured Intervention
When a case of bullying occurs, a team of trained teachers will immediately take action, including:
- Dialogue with the victim: The team will provide full support to the victim of bullying.
- Discussion with the perpetrator: The team will talk to, reprimand, and impose appropriate punishment on the perpetrator.
- Involving other students: The team will also talk to other students and ask them to actively defend the victim.
3. Continuous Monitoring
Finally, the KiVa program also includes regular surveys. These surveys aim to identify cases of bullying that escape the teachers’ attention.