Treating bullying as everyone’s problem reduces incidence in primary schools  

The largest trial of its kind has shown how a cost effective, structured, anti-bullying programme can improve social dynamics in primary schools and reduce victimisation. 

The University of Exeter led the Devon site as part of the year-long trial of the KiVa school-based bullying prevention programme, which was implemented in over 100 primary schools in England and Wales and involved over 11,000 students. Results found a significant reduction in incidents of bullying and was equally effective across socio-economically diverse schools. 

The KiVa programme focuses on the behaviour of all children and emphasises the role that bystanders can play. Children in schools that implemented the programme were 13-per cent less likely to report being bullied, compared to schools using standard procedures. The schools undertaking KiVa also reported that their children were more empathetic towards victims and that children’s problems with their peers were reduced. Economic analyses found that KiVa is also a low-cost intervention, which is particularly important given budget restrictions in schools. 

Rachel Hayes, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, said: “Thinking back to our own childhoods many of us will identify with that child who was always bullied – perhaps that child was you. As adults we’ve all seen the long-lasting impact that childhood bullying can leave, and medical research tells us that children who were bullied are more likely to suffer with mental health problems as adults. This is why I was so pleased to have led the Devon site in this trial and even more delighted our results have confirmed the data seen in other countries.  

“Aside from the statistical analysis, one little boy will always stick in my mind from a small Devon school. He called me aside and told me that before the KiVa lessons he was really mean to the boy sitting across the table and how it made him sad to remember how he used to behave towards him. Now they are best friends, and this new best friend listened on with a huge smile across his face.”  

The Finnish Kiusaamisen Vastaan (“Against Bullying”), or KiVa, programme is based on research that demonstrates that bystanders – children who are present, but not directly involved in bullying incidents – have a major role to play in defending the victim, making bullying less socially acceptable, and so reducing the motivation of bullies. 

The research is the largest randomised controlled trial in the world to date of the KiVa programme, involving 118 schools across England and Wales. Half the schools adopted KiVa and half continued standard practice. Data was obtained from 11,111 pupils who filled in surveys about bullying, and from teacher-reported pupil behavior questionnaires on 11,571 pupils, both before and after the trial. The trial ran for a full academic year. However, KiVa is designed to be embedded into ongoing school practice and many schools involved in the trial are continuing to use the programme.  

Willand School in Devon continue to use KiVa after taking part in the trial. Teacher Oliver Cowan is the KiVa Lead at the school and said: “The initiative has empowered both students and staff to address bullying effectively, creating a safer and more supportive environment. Feedback from students, staff and parents has been extremely positive and student survey data has shown just how effective KiVa has been for us.” 

The schools on the KiVa arm of the trial set up fortnightly lessons for pupils which focused on recognising and responding to bullying and helping to support victims. There were also whole-school assemblies on bullying, poster campaigns and information for parents. Teachers supervising breaktimes wore high-visibility vests. For every identified bullying incident, staff followed KiVa’s recommended actions. Rather than the traditional response of blame and punishment for the bully, the schools had individual discussions with the children involved and made sure that the bullying pupil committed to clear actions to support the victim. 

Professor Judy Hutchings, from the Centre for Evidence Based Early Intervention at Bangor University, said: “Bullying in childhood is one of the biggest risk factors for later mental health problems in childhood and adolescence. Unfortunately, it is widespread in UK schools and while all schools are required to have a bullying policy, it’s rarely evidence based. The KiVa ‘whole school’ approach has had really significant effects on bullying in other countries because it focuses on everyone’s behaviour, and removes the social rewards usually gained by the perpetrators.” 

The project was led overall by Bangor University, working with the Universities of Exeter, Oxford, Warwick, and Birmingham, and the trial itself was managed by Cardiff University. The research trial was funded by the NIHR’s Public Health Research programme. The Children’s Early Intervention Trust charity, that has the UK KiVa dissemination license, organised intervention costs, training schools and implementation. 

The results from the UK trial of 13-percent reduction in bullying are less compelling than studies in other countries such as Finland (30-percent reduction), Netherlands (43-percent ​reduction)​ and Italy (51-percent reduction). But the UK trial took place during the SARS-Covid pandemic, which involved major classroom disruption for pupils and considerably higher levels of absenteeism, and researchers believe this may have affected the results.  

‘The effects and costs of an anti-bullying programme (KiVa) in UK primary schools: a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial’ is published in Psychological Medicine.