Speakers
Description
Authors: Anwen Rhys Jones (Bangor University), Jeremy Segrott (Cardiff University), Judy Hutchings (Bangor University), Lucy Bowes (Oxford University)
Chairs: Frances Gardner
Discussant: Christina Salmivalli
Background: The levels of victimisation and bullying are impacted by the behaviour of all pupils. The Stand Together trial show reductions in victimisation. This symposium describes the introduction and evaluation of the KiVa programme from its initial implementation in the UK in 2012 to the completion of the NIHR funded Stand Together RCT. The papers will be discussed by Professor Salmivalli of Turku University whose initial research on bullying led to the funding of KiVa by the Finnish Government
i.) The first paper explores early pre-post results from initial schools implementing the programme and the establishment of a UK co-ordinating structure for dissemination as well as implementation lessons learned from a pilot RCT in 22 schools (Dr Anwen Jones).
ii.) The second paper describes the NIHR Stand Together RCT trial in 118 primary schools from across the UK with 11,000 pupils and its outcomes (Professor Lucy Bowes).
iii.) The third paper explores the universal and targeted processes that operated within the trial and their implementation (Dr Jeremy Segrott).
iv.) The fourth paper explores the social architecture model on which the KiVa programme is built (Professor Judy Hutchings).
Methods: A two-arm pragmatic multicentre cluster randomized controlled trial with embedded economic evaluation. Schools were randomized to KiVa-intervention or usual practice. Primary outcome: student-reported bullying-victimization. Secondary outcomes; bullying-perpetration, participant roles in bullying, empathy and teacher-reported child behaviour. Fidelity was assessed for KiVa curriculum delivery, dealing with identified bullying and wider school activities, via questionnaires, qualitative interviews and classroom observations.
Results: The published results showed reduced victimisation and benefits to pupil empathy and peer problems for the KiVa relative to the control arm.
Discussion: The KiVa anti-bullying programme is effective at reducing bullying victimization with small-moderate effects of public health importance.
Abstract 1
Implementation of KiVa school based antibullying programme in the UK: History and outcomes from the dissemination leading up to the Stand Together trial
Dr Anwen Jones, Bangor University
The KiVa evidence-based school based antibullying programme, developed at Turku University, Finland, was introduced into Wales in 2012 with Welsh Government grant funding to schools. The Bangor (Wales) based Children's Early Intervention Trust (CEIT) charity was subsequently appointed as UK KiVa licenced partner since which time the programme has been disseminated and evaluated in several communities. This talk presents the story of KiVa in the UK leading up to the funding of the Stand Together trial, including developments in the dissemination of training for schools over the last 13 years. It presents the key findings from earlier work led from the Centre for Evidence Based Early Intervention including successful implementation in the first 17 primary schools, using pre-post pupil-reported levels of bullying and victimisation and the subsequent successful implementation in the first 41 schools to implement the programme. This was followed by a small-scale RCT (n= 22 schools) that highlighted implementation issues and led to the NIHR funding of the stand together RCT trial.
KiVa’s UK journey also continues to explore factors associated with effective implementation. This includes determining possible trends from longitudinal pupil self-reported surveys to improve future bullying prevention, and examining the different challenges that may arise when increasing roll-out in secondary schools.
Abstract 2
Evaluating the Stand Together KiVa school based anti-bullying programme trial in the UK, results from an RCT with 11,000 children
Professor Lucy Bowes, Oxford University
Background: School based bullying has significant short and long term detrimental effects for victims, bullies and even for children who are neither initiators or victims. Rates of school-based bullying depend on the behaviour of other children who either support or stand against bullying so addressing bullying requires a whole school approach.
The KiVa school based antibullying programme, developed in Finland, was based on the social architecture model of bullying which identified pupils as bullies, helpers of bullies, reinforcers of bullying, silent observers who appear not to notice and supporters of victims. KiVa has both universal and targeted components and worked well in Finland but the UK educational system is different and its introduction into the UK required evidence.
UK schools must have an antibullying policy but the content is not specified.
Methods: The KiVa programme was trialed in an RCT in 118 state primary schools from across the UK with 7 – 11 year old children. Schools were randomised to KiVa or usual practice in addressing bullying and over 11,000 pupils participated.
Results: After a year of KiVa implementation, the results showed KiVa to have a significant 13% reduction in victimisation relative to the usual practice schools as well as significant benefits to pupil reported empathy and teacher-rated peer problems. Furthermore, the approach was equally effective across socio-economically diverse schools, and in schools ranging in size from small rural to large urban schools. There were also benefits in terms of significant reductions in pupil reported bullying, bully helpers and supporters of bullying in KiVa schools.
Discussion: The implications are discussed, and although the results were not as good as those achieved in Finland, the work was undertaken in the post-COVID year when schools faced disruption and absenteeism of both pupils and staff and still represent a significant public health outcome.
Abstract 3
Aims and objectives of the Process Evaluation of the Stand Together trial
Dr Jeremy Segrott, Cardiff University
The process evaluation was undertaken to aid interpretation of the main trial findings by describing and assessing the implementation of KiVa and its mechanisms of action. It had the following objectives:
1) assess implementation fidelity;
2) identify influences on KiVa implementation and how the intervention interacts with school contexts, including school-level free school meals entitlement as a measure of socioeconomic status;
3) examine intervention mechanisms, including intervention receipt by pupils and parents;
4) describe control schools’ usual practice (UP) in relation to preventing and dealing with bullying.
The paper describes the methods used to achieve these objectives and summarises the results
Implementation fidelity
Overall, good completion of indicated actions, lessons (some variation), and activities within lessons (where observed)
Influences on KiVa implementation
Staff commitment to intervention, including achieving goals of lessons
COVID impacts on whole school activity and attendance (staff and pupils)
Intervention mechanisms, including intervention receipt
Evidence of pupil learning/engagement, and building across school
Usual practice
Intervention distinctiveness & good fit with context
Abstract 4
Participant Roles in Bullying Among 7–11 Year Olds: Results from the Stand Together UK-Wide Randomised Controlled Trial of the KiVa School-Based Antibullying Programme
Professor Judy Hutchings, School of Psychology, Bangor University
Background: This paper describes the social architecture model of school-based bullying behaviour. The model, based on work by Salmivalli and colleagues (1996) proposes that the behaviour of all students affects rates of bullying. Alongside self-reported victims and bullies, the model identified four bystander roles: assistant, reinforcer, outsider, and defender. The level of support for bullies varies based on school policies that address bullying and promote school connectedness. The universal components of the KiVa school-based anti-bullying programme designed to teach pupils to stand against bullying are described.
Methods: The Stand Together trial, a UK-based randomised controlled trial, recruited 11,000+ students from 118 schools across the UK, half of whom received the KiVa programme whilst the remainder delivered usual practice to address bullying. The main trial results reported a significant reduction in victimisation in favour of KiVa.
This paper examines data collected on the pupil-reported Participant Role Questionnaire (PRQ), one of the secondary measures used to explore whether significant reductions in victimisation were accompanied by changes in bystander behavior.
Results: The results showed reductions in the student response rates of self-identified roles as bullies, assistants, and reinforcers in favour of KiVa, but outsider roles increased, and defender roles reduced.
Discussion: This provides tentative support for the social architecture model as taught in the Stand Together KiVa trial but also suggests that further work needs to be conducted to support the development of defender behaviours to address this important public health challenge.
| Conflict of interest | none |
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