How to prevent bullying The KiVa programme
31 May 2021As a school, how can we go beyond academic excellence and share knowledge that lasts a lifetime? Francisco Benavente, KiVa Coordinator, explains how our anti-bullying programme is changing students lives.
The KiVa anti-bullying programme was implemented at IIL at the start of the 2020-2021 school year. The programme has been well received by both the students and the school community.
We constantly tell the students how human relations can sometimes be difficult, and that is normal. The KiVa programme provides students with new tools to deal with different situations in life. Communication, for example, is a very powerful tool. We encourage our students to communicate, to reach out to one another, so that there are no misunderstandings. It is important not to let a situation get out of hand.
Dialogue has an important role to play in KiVa activities. Through different activities with the teacher, the pupils learn to exchange opinions or feelings. The younger children learn to put their feelings into words and older students learn to recognise a bullying situation.6
When resolving conflictual situations, KiVa takes into account the whole group, as each student may have a different role. Through targeted activities, the teacher can give the group a new perspective.
The Kiva anti-bullying activities allow students to develop skills, such as empathy, tolerance and respect. The skills that pupils learn in the classroom are tools that they will carry forward throughout their life. The KiVa programme prepares pupils for the school of life.
