KiVa is a research-based, whole-school programme developed in Finland that addresses bullying through three integrated strands: prevention (regular, age-targeted lessons, and school-wide culture building to shift norms), intervention (clear, consistent procedures led by a trained staff team), and monitoring (ongoing feedback—typically via student surveys—to inform practice and celebrate progress) (Herkama et al., 2017; KiVa Program, n.d.).
Because bullying dynamics can extend beyond individual classrooms and even beyond single schools—into peer networks, sports teams, and neighbourhoods—interventions are more likely to take hold when messages and practices are consistent across a locality. Implementing a shared, evidence based approach within a Kāhui Ako (Community of Learning) was therefore intended to create ripple effects across the wider community, creating and reinforcing common expectations for inclusion and defending others.
The KiVa Kāhui Ako project began in 2021 with funding from the Rātā Foundation and delivery led in partnership with Wellington UniVentures (a subsidiary of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington), the Ministry of Education, and participating schools. In 2023, The Elephant Trust assumed ongoing management of the study. NZCER undertook an independent evaluation tracking student survey data from baseline over 2 years.
Given Aotearoa New Zealand’s high need for anti-bullying initiatives and the advantages of a coordinated, community-wide approach, the project’s aim was to introduce KiVa across one Kāhui Ako and evaluate impacts on bullying and victimisation over time—providing a tested model that others might adapt.
The evaluation consisted of a standard survey administered by the Elephant Trust which was provided by the KiVa programme. NZCER was contracted to analyse a subset of this data most relevant to the research questions. The evaluation tracked student survey responses from baseline through 2 years of implementation.
After 2 years of implementation, the evaluation found statistically significant reductions in victimisation at school, cyberbullying, and self-reported perpetration. Patterns varied by gender, with reductions in victimisation and cyberbullying evident for both boys and girls.
Divergent trends were observed in self-reported bullying of others, with statistically significant reductions only for girls. A supplementary analysis explored the relationship between students’ perceptions of teacher attitudes toward bullying and reported victimisation, providing evidence that students’ belief that their teacher did not approve of bullying was associated with lower reported bullying.
This report presents limited statistical findings from the 2-year KiVa trial in six schools from one urban Kāhui Ako. It situates the results in the Aotearoa New Zealand context, summarises overall and subgroup trends, and discusses implications for future implementation and research on programme effectiveness and equity.