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The KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme: The Pilot and

Randomised Controlled Trial

Presentation at the Bangor Conference

Suzy Clarkson

Centre for Evidence Based Early Intervention Bangor University

KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme

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• Developed and evaluated in Finland; Professor Christina Salmivalli at Turku University

• Commissioned by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture

• For over a decade no changes in bullying prevalence rates

• Legislative changes (1998, 2003) • Schools required to have policy (including action

plan or strategy against bullying)• Schools encouraged to self-invent programmes

Research on Bullying

• Bullying is a group process

• Bully’s behaviour: pursuit and maintenance of status and power within the group

• Bystanders behaviour can encourage, support, and maintain the bully’s behaviour

Foundations of KiVa: • By influencing the behaviour of classmates, we

can help to reduce the rewards gained by the bullies and consequently, their motivation to bully in the first place

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KiVa Antibullying ProgrammeKiVa is a structured and sytematic programme with a large amount of materials and concrete tools

Two componentsUniversal actions: Ten double lessons, online games, high-visibilty vests for playtime supervision, posters, and parent website

Indicated actions: KiVa team with scripted strategies for dealing with reported incidents of bullying. Indicated actions permit “victim’s voice” to be heard, allow bully to commit to a plan to support the victim, and class teacher to encourage pro-social support for victim.

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Finnish Randomised Controlled Trial

• 234 schools (117 intervention, 117 control) representing all provinces in the mainland Finland > 30 000 students

• Wide age range (Grades 1-9, pupils 7-15 years of age)

• Measured numerous outcome variables

Main Conclusions of the RCT• KiVa was effective in reducing (self- and peer-reported)

bullying and victimisation during the first nine months of implementation– The effects generalised to multiple forms of

victimisation; Verbal, social exclusion, physical, material, threats, racist, sexual and cyber

• Numerous positive effects on other outcomes, including school liking and academic motivation

• Decreases in depression and anxiety

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Finnish Rollout

The RCT was conducted in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009

•In 2009, Rollout commenced in 1,450 schools

•880 schools included in further evaluations (N~150,000 pupils). Postive results were gained

•In 2010, +810 schools

•In 2011, +200 schools

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NOW: 90% of schools implement KiVa

Pilot Study

• Small-scale opportunistic pilot in 2012-2013

• Funded by KESS and Children’s Early Intervention Trust registered charity

• 17 schools – 14 schools in Wales used an improvement grant

from Welsh Government– 3 schools in Cheshire supported by a local plan

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Pilot Study

• Only Unit 2 translated at time of study• Year 5 and 6 (age 9-11 years)

• Teachers/KiVa team training in May 2012

• Termly support sessions and telephone contact

• Data collected• Pupil pre and post data via the KiVa online pupil

self-report survey• Teacher mid- and end-point via survey

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Pupil Self-Report Results

Victimisation: t(13) =2.52, p =.01, r =.57 Bullying: t(13) =2.76, p =.01, r =.61Final: Pupil sample n=529 School sample n=14

Self-reported victimisation and bullying were significantly reduced in classes delivering the programme

Teacher Feedback

• Teachers: enthusiastic and positive about the lesson content and structure

• Teachers: reported that 75-100% of pupils were engaged and enthusiastic about the lessons

• The majority of teachers reported that KiVa had a positive impact on: child well-being, behaviour, pro-social behaviour, and class and playground atmosphere

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RCT Trial

• Funded by the Welsh BIG Lottery from 2013-2015

• Project partners: the Social Research Unit Dartington and CEBEI, and CEIT at Bangor University

• 20 primary schools across Wales

• 11 phase 1 intervention, 9 wait list control

• Phase 1 schools are now delivering the programme, and Phase 2 schools will be trained in June 2014 and begin delivery in September 2014.

• All of Key stage 2; Unit 1 and 2

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RCT Outcomes

The funded trial will consider:

Bullying Pupil self-report

Victimisation Pupil self report

Mental well-being Teacher Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

Attendance Half day absences

Feedback from teachers, during the termly support sessions is extremely positive, both for lesson content and child engagement

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KiVa is an example of how the commitment of politicians, researchers, and educators can make a difference in

the lives of many children and young people

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KiVa in Finland

Thank you for listening

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Suzy Clarkson: pss01f@bangor.ac.uk

Centre of Evidence based Early InterventionsBangor University