Children should have a safe environment to grow up and learn in. We do not accept bullying, and we will intervene in it.
The early childhood education staff work actively and in many ways to prevent bullying. Every early childhood education unit has procedures for crisis and bullying situations. We have compiled the procedures into an anti-bullying programme (ABP13) that includes 13 measures. Read more about them below.
The City of Helsinki also has the use of a policy on preventing and responding to bullying, harassment and violence (PDF in Finnish) . Each staff member and guardian must be aware of the operating methods and policies. The policy should be reviewed regularly.
Bullying is defined as behaviour where a child is intentionally hurt, injured or rejected by one or more children. Bullying is characterised by repeated, conscious behaviour and abuse of power. These set it apart from arguments and individual conflicts. Bullying must always be taken seriously and intervened in.
How we prevent and identify bullying
- Staff are actively present in children's daily activities and especially in play. This prevents bullying.
- Warm and respectful interaction lays the foundation for a safe atmosphere in the group. Sensitive interaction is also important in interaction between staff, which children closely observe.
- We will draft group rules together with the children at the start of the operating period. The rules will be posted both in writing and as illustrations, and we will review them throughout the operating period.
- We support the children’s grouping regularly, which reinforces the sense of unity.
- A special education teacher or pre-primary education social worker is available for consultation concerning challenges with grouping.
- We will practice emotional and interactive skills through play and daily activities. We will explain how and why we practice these skills in the group portfolio.
- We attend training to maintain the competence of the teaching staff and other professionals.
- When used throughout the operating period, programmes aimed at developing emotional and interactive skills are goal-oriented and effective. These include Fun Friends, Miniverso, Askeleittain, Lapsen mieli and Lapsen mieli, kieli ja kulttuuri (MIELI Mental Health Finland).
- The child’s social environment is discussed with the guardians in connection with the child’s individual early childhood education plan and personal learning plan for pre-primary education. The guardians can provide valuable information on the child’s experiences and thoughts.
- Guardians must be made aware of the anti-bullying measures and how the ABP13 anti-bullying programme is implemented.
- Guardians will be involved in the anti-bullying work in connection with parents’ evenings, for example.
- At the unit level, the action plan must contain entries on how the ABP13 programme is processed in the work community and in collaboration with children and guardians so that the programme is implemented in daily activities.
How we intervene in bullying
- We always intervene immediately. The serious attitude of the staff and families sends the message to the children that bullying is not acceptable.
- We show compassion to the child and help them find the words to describe what has happened.
- We hear all parties involved even when the bullying is reported by a guardian.
- Intervening in and preventing bullying is a form of support for the entire group, in addition to individual children.
- We stop and assess the interaction within the group.
- We review the incident with the guardians of the children involved.
- We agree in cooperation with the guardians on how to best support the children.
- We inform the guardians of the entire group of group phenomena.
- When bullying occurs, the situations must be processed with the parties involved and recorded in the child’s individual early childhood education plan or personal learning plan for pre-primary education: What has happened? How was the situation intervened in? When were guardians informed of the incident (date)? Monitoring and recovery support plan?
- We will describe how we process bullying and emotional and interactive skills with the group in the group's pedagogical plan and group portfolio.
How we support and monitor recovery from bullying
- Together with the team, we monitor how effective the bullying prevention measures are in the group.
- As a team, we agree on how to monitor the situation and intervene in bullying.
- We will ensure that a safe adult is always available to the child.
- Everyone shares the responsibility for the safety of the children in early childhood education and pre-primary education.
- The entire staff needs to know about bullying incidents to ensure the safety and well-being of the children in a multiprofessional manner.
- If bullying continues despite the anti-bullying measures, the teacher compiles an individual multidisciplinary team of experts to work on the matter (guardian, special educational needs teacher, pre-primary education social worker / psychologist and any other parties).
- The daycare centre manager makes sure that the multidisciplinary cooperation is successful.
- It is important to consult the pupil welfare social worker early on when multidisciplinary cooperation is needed.
- We use the child’s individual early childhood education plan to assess together with the child and their guardians how well the child’s needs related to growing, learning, development and support have been met.
- Together with the child, we document and evaluate how the child practices emotional and interactive skills as well as play skills in the group portfolio.
- The fulfilment of the objectives and criteria recorded in the action plan and group’s pedagogical plan is assessed at a unit and group level.
- The management of the planning, development and decision-making concerning the activities is based on information.