The KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme in Finland Bullying is an international phenomenon and it is not surprising that new approaches to tackling the behaviour are being developed around the world. One of...

The KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme in Finland Bullying is an international phenomenon and it is not surprising that new approaches to tackling the behaviour are being developed around the world. One of the most recent new developments in school-based programmes is the KiVa Anti-Bullying programme (http:// www.kivaprogram.net), which combines aspects of intervention and prevention as described above. Commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland in 2006, the programme was developed by researchers and educators at the University of Turku. The programme draws on the work of Christine Salmivalli (2010) and focuses on the role and action of peer bystanders. Key elements of the programme are universal educational elements such as lessons, events and online activities for pupils, and guides for parents and teachers (Salmivalli and Poskiparta, 2012). The participant-focused elements involve discussions with those directly involved (victims and bullies) as well as working with possible peer supporters who are asked to support the pupil being bullied. The KiVa programme has been evaluated using a randomised controlled trial, one of the most rigorous designs available to researchers (Karna et al., 2011), showing significant effects on both reports of victimisation and bullying others. While there is debate about the effectiveness of school-based programmes, with reviews suggesting that effects are modest, Juvonen and Graham (2014) describe KiVa as a promising programme. In addition, the uptake of the programme nationally in Finland suggests that there is significant support for the approach.

• Can you think of any ways in which researchers could establish the success or otherwise of an intervention like this one? • What challenges might they face in assessing how well it has worked?