Bullying and conflicts at school
Bullying and conflicts between pupils at school
We all have a dream of a society without bullying, harassment or conflict. We all know that, in reality, these unpleasant phenomena exist in society and in schools. That is why we pay special attention in all Siilinjärvi schools to the prevention of bullying and the handling of bullying cases. The same applies to all other forms of inappropriate behaviour.
The prevention of violence, bullying and harassment is an important part of community-based student welfare work. This work contributes to the overall well-being of pupils and the climate of the school community as a whole. In the context of the curriculum, the education provider must draw up a plan to protect pupils from violence, bullying and harassment, and implement and monitor compliance with and implementation of the plan. You can read the Siilinjärvi plan here (available in Finnish).
According to the Constitution, everyone has the right to life and to personal liberty, integrity and security. Bullying violates this fundamental right and has many negative and often long-lasting consequences for the development of children and young people. Therefore, in all schools in Siilinjärvi, bullying is prevented in advance and cases of bullying are dealt with without delay. In addition to the actual bullying, there are various conflicts between pupils in schools. These conflicts are also dealt with and resolved.
Bullying or conflict situation?
Bullying has characteristics that distinguish it from, for example, fighting, harassment or a single violent incident. Bullying is repeated, planned and deliberate . Bullying is an abuse of power. It is an attempt to subjugate, harm or violate a person’s physical or psychological integrity. Bullying can be carried out by one or more people and can also be directed at an adult.
Bullying can be physical (e.g. pushing, hitting, pinching or other physical harm) or psychological (e.g. name-calling, name-calling, name-calling, name-calling, name-calling, expressions, imitating, threatening, blackmailing). Bullying can also be directed at another’s property (e.g. taking things without permission, breaking and hiding them).
Sometimes bullying is used to negatively affect relationships with friends. In this case, bullying takes the form of being left alone, discrimination, gossiping, telling untrue things, or posting pictures or personal things on social media.
Sexual harassment is also bullying. Sexual harassment of children and young people is about exposing them to age-inappropriate sexuality. Sexual harassment violates a person’s physical and psychological integrity.
Bullying is bullying that takes place in school during school hours.
Conflicts between pupils are characterised by:
– it is an isolated incident (repeated bullying)
– the parties to the conflict are on an equal footing (in bullying, the bullied is subordinate)
– a conflict situation can arise because the parties involved do not consciously want it to happen (bullying is a conscious action).
The severity of conflict situations varies. They can range from name-calling between two students to a serious fight. All conflicts between pupils in schools are dealt with. The seriousness of the situation is taken into account when dealing with a conflict.
The role of the school
As part of the school’s student welfare plan, all schools in Siilinjärvi have an action plan for the prevention of bullying, violence and harassment. The basis for the prevention of bullying and harassment is based on interaction and teamwork skills, acceptance of differences, empathy, tolerance and respect for others. Everyone working in the school should treat each other with respect and equality.
In all schools, attention is paid to a community culture. This is reflected in school rules, “class contracts” and school events. In addition, the schools have student councils, mentoring and tutoring. At class level, the emphasis is on the teacher’s knowledge of the student and, through this, the individual student’s experience of being heard, seen and recognised.
All Siilinjärvi schools providing basic education follow a uniform model for dealing with bullying cases. If the bullying has occurred in school during school hours, participation in the bullying resolving is not voluntary for the student. If bullying occurs during free time or on school trips, the primary responsibility for dealing with bullying lies with the student’s guardians. However, in these cases, the school may assist the guardians in dealing with the bullying and act as a common arena for dealing with it.
You can read about the bullying handling model in Siilinjärvi basic education here: addressing bullying in Siilinjärvi basic education (available in Finnish)
Schools have different models for dealing with conflicts between pupils (e.g. verso-mediation, resto-mediation). However, general guidelines for conflict resolution have been agreed. You can find out more about the Siilinjärvi model for conflict resolution in basic education here:
Conflict resolution between pupils (available in Finnish).
Discussion form in bullying situations (available in Finnish)
I or my child is being bullied – what should I do?
The Finnish National Board of Education has published the attached “room signs” for pupils and guardians, which summarise the procedure to follow if a pupil has been bullied. These national guidelines will also serve as a guide for pupils and guardians in Siilinjärvi. The key feature of these models is that bullying must always be reported to the school. The school can only intervene if it is aware of the bullying!