Anti-Bullying Effort
Over the years, my frustration toward anti-bullying labor as we know it has grown stronger and stronger. After indulging myself in a lot of academic reading on bullying as a form of abuse and the multitude of tactics meant to help resolving abuse situations, I have become very aware of the lackluster state of what we call anti-bullying. Having the knowledge on a theoretical level has helped me understand the way I was neglected to hell and back as a Kid, especially by adults who were supposed to be there to protect me where most of the abuse was happening.
Teachers in schools.
left behind.
It was around the time I was starting my second or third year in elementary school, at the age of 8 to 9, when the famous Finnish anti-bullying program KiVa Koulu was launched. The name is an abbreviation of the words “kiusaamisen vastainen koulu”, which translates to ‘anti-bullying school’. “Kiva” is also a word in Finnish, meaning anything from nice to kind to pleasant. This anti-bullying program is the creation of Christina Salmivalli, Finland’s leading bullying researcher in the University of Turku, a woman I have mentioned countless of times in my writing and social media posts. KiVa Koulu’s functionality relies on Salmivalli’s research on intervention tactics used in order to resolve situations of bullying, while taking into account the group dynamic as well as the individual needs of the children who are active participants in the abuse. Since its initial launch, KiVa Koulu has been adopted by schools all around Europe, outside of Finland, with great success.
Finnish people in general have a very obvious distain toward KiVa Koulu as a program. Time and time again parents and teachers alike express their frustrations toward the program, calling it useless and inauthentic, with no practical methods of combatting situations of bullying. This emotionally charged reaction is understandable when all importance is placed on the program and not on the people who are supposed to utilize the methods present in KiVa Koulu. What I mean by this is that a lot of the times, teachers tend to forget the fact that in order for KiVa Koulu to do what it’s supposed to do they actually have to PRACTICE the methods in the program: just smacking the logo of KiVa Koulu on the promotional posters around the school building does absolutely nothing to protect the children. But that is, unfortunately, what tends to happen in Finnish schools, and this variation of neglect is a big contributor to my trauma, as well.
Being anti-bullying is an active effort. Cute slogans or colorful brand designs don’t do anything substantial to help kids who are being abused by their peers. Simply stating that your school has zero tolerance for bullying is not enough when you don’t even listen to the kids who are brave enough to come talk to you about their experiences. Being anti-bullying is a form of activism and a method of raising children; it emcompasses principles of kindness, equality, and understanding. If you don’t practice these principles in your job as a teacher or a parent raising their children, you are not an advocate for children’s right not to be abused by their peers.
Way too many times did I end up being dismissed in my experiences at elementary school by teachers who wore safety jackets with the KiVa Koulu logo printed at the back. If I didn’t see it, it didn’t happen. And even if I did see it, if I don’t have the energy to deal with kids and their bullshit, it didn’t happen and I will do nothing to help you. These seem to be the principles the teachers in my school operated under while trying to preach how anti-bullying was an important ethos to them. That is child neglect, plain and simple.
Anti-bullying is not only of importance to teachers and educators, but to all of us who have children around us. It is an active effort into making sure that kids do not have to grow up surrounded by violence of any kind. Taking a moment to remember the UN’s Children’s Rights in this instance would probably be a good idea. Remember that we are all responsible of the weakest members of our society, children. They need us as their advocates. Whatever it is that you do for kids, do it with the purest of intentions, remembering the Kid you used to be. I’m sure they would have appreciated that kind of understanding, as well.
Putting the effort in,
ichigonya