This project was created to fight against bullying through various activities and actions to prevent violence. It originated at the University of Turku, supported by Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture.
There are three protagonists in bullying: the victim, the bully, and the bystanders. The main problem in these situations is the indifference shown by bystanders. Victims require support from the school, adults, and peers. The Kiva project was created for this reason.
This project was inspired by a quote from Martin Luther King that states the following: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.” Therefore, the main purpose of this project is to create a change in the attitude of students who are bystanders to bullying cases, rather than to encourage bullying.
How is this project put into practice?
Students are trained to recognize the various forms of bullying and carry out exercises to optimize coexistence, in order to avoid and eliminate violent communication and mistreatment among students. Small group meetings, cinema debates, and others are held to educate students on how to act when they witness a case of bullying.
It also trains the teachers, so they are able to educate their students. They are provided with material to mediate in different cases of bullying. They are provided with content on school environment, human relations, prevention, and the fight against bullying. This project also provides interactive computer games and a website with a guide for parents, who are also essential in this fight.
Lastly, they develop strategies to intervene in bullying situations in which not only the victim is assisted but also the bully and the other students to prevent them from being mere bystanders since they can stop this kind of behavior.
Results
This project has been implemented in 90% of Finnish schools and has generated positive results through randomized controlled tests in 117 schools with approximately 150,000 students.
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