<p>
	A national anti-bullying programme focusing on changing bystander behaviour should be rolled out immediately in Irish schools, a leading expert urges.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	Director of the Anti-Bullying Research Centre at Dublin City University, James O&rsquo;Higgins Norman, said they developed an anti-bullying programme based on a highly successful Finnish model.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	Called Kiva (meaning nice), it includes role-playing exercises to increase the empathy of bystanders, and computer simulations to encourage students to think about how they would intervene to reduce bullying.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	A study of more than 7,000 students in Finnish schools published earlier this year found that the programme greatly benefitted the mental health of students experiencing the most bullying.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	It was found that the most tormented children &mdash; those facing bullying several times a week &mdash; could be helped by teaching bystanders to be more supportive.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	Christina Salmivalli, a professor of psychology at the University of Turku who developed Kiva, currently in more than 2,300 Finnish schools, outlined its benefits at the annual Anti-Bullying Centre Conference at DCU yesterday.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	Kiva is now Finland&rsquo;s national anti-bullying programme, and has been tested and used in several other European countries and New Zealand. It is currently being evaluated in the US.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	Mr O&rsquo;Higgins Norman said the Anti-Bullying Centre has piloted a whole school approach that could be rolled out nationally if funding and resources to train teachers were made available.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	&ldquo;Kiva has been very successful because bystanders become advocates for a safer environment &mdash;&mdash; they know when to intervene when they see bullying behaviour.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	&ldquo;In Ireland schools have been allowed to develop their own programmes according to their own needs, but we have found that means that some schools don&rsquo;t develop programmes and they are not as pro-active as they should be.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	&ldquo;If there was a national programme, it would mean that every school would have to reach certain standards and maintain a focus on bullying within the school environment.&rdquo;</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	Ireland has had a National Anti-Bullying Action Plan since 2013, but has not implemented a national programme across all schools.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	(Published by the Irish Examiner on the 10th June 2016)</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/anti-bullying-programme-focused-on-changing-bystander-behaviour-should-be-in-irish-schools-404099.html">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/anti-bullying-programme-focused-on-changing-bystander-behaviour-should-be-in-irish-schools-404099.html</a></p>
