KiVa is an evidence-based bullying prevention programme that has been developed by the University of Turku, Finland. Ellesmere College – Te Kāreti o Waihora was the first co-educational secondary school in New Zealand to implement the KiVa programme. The effectiveness of KiVa has been proven through randomized control trials, together with a range of different studies. KiVa is being used around the world in over 18 different countries.
KiVa has been developed by experts who have been studying the phenomenon of bullying and its mechanisms for decades. The team is led by PhD, Professor Christina Salmivalli and PhD, Special Researcher Elisa Poskiparta, both from the University of Turku, Finland.
No other bullying prevention programme has been studied as rigorously as KiVa, before and after its extensive implementation in Finland. The programme has been shown to reduce both self and peer reported bullying and victimization, significantly.
The Finnish data showed that after the first year of implementation, the programme reduced all forms of bullying significantly. 98% of the bullied students felt that their situation improved after the intervention. In addition, positive effects on school liking, academic motivation and achievement have been reported. KiVa also reduces anxiety and depression and has a positive impact on students’ perception of their classroom culture.
Numerous studies show that KiVa is effective in other countries as well. The Netherlands, Estonia, Italy, Wales and New Zealand are among the regions where research has been conducted and adds to the positive findings about the KiVa programme.
