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KiVa

Bluestone —

Using KiVa - prevention, intervention, and monitoring

You may be aware that Bluestone is a KiVa school but not really know what this means or what happens.KiVa is evidence-based and has been designed to prevent bullying and to tackle cases of bullying effectively. Prevention and intervention are both crucial, as no prevention efforts will make bullying disappear on their own.

Prevention

Prevention such as student lessons and online games, is directed at all students with a focus on changing the role of the bystanders. There are direct links to the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC), KiVa will enhance your school activities and the delivery of your school-based curriculum.

Intervention

Schools need effective tools when a case of bullying comes to light.

Intervention is used when a bullying case is identified. It is targeted specifically to the children/adolescents who have been involved in bullying as perpetrators or victims, as well as to several classmates who are challenged to support the victim. The aim is to put an end to bullying.

Monitoring

Monitoring of the situation in one’s school and the changes taking place over time is a key aspect of KiVa. The surveys, for example, produce annual feedback for each school about their implementation of the program as well as shifts in behaviour.

KiVa is based on decades of research on bullying and its mechanisms

KiVa was developed at the University of Turku in Finland, with funding from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. Its developers are experts who have been studying the phenomenon of bullying and its mechanisms for decades. KiVa has been trialled, evaluated, and is regularly monitored through research. The team is led by PhD, Professor Christina Salmivalli and PhD, Special Researcher Elisa Poskiparta.