FINNISH KIDS BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY TO AVOID BULLIES, STUDY FINDS

One-fifth of young people in comprehensive and secondary school education in Finland believe that bullying others can lead to greater appreciation and popularity among peers, according to the results of a survey published by the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL), the Finnish news agency Yle reported.

The survey was carried out last year and involved over 14,000 pupils in grades four to nine from across the country. MLL Program Manager Jenni Helenius told Yle that the perceived value of bullying stems from hidden norms: Although bullying is not generally accepted, the pressure experienced in certain situations causes young people to behave or react in a different way.

"In a circle of friends, someone takes power and others dare not say anything. They can either admire or fear the bully," Helenius told a Yle Radio Suomi current affairs show on Friday, adding that young people often bully because they are afraid of being left out. In the survey, about one-sixth of the students said they had been bullied or abused during the school year, while nearly a third said they felt they had to behave in a certain way in order to avoid becoming the subject of bullying or abuse.

Through the results of the survey, MLL also sought to discover if and how students and teachers work together to prevent bullying. However, only a quarter of bullying victims said the school’s adults had intervened, and that this intervention had proved to be helpful. Instead, as many as three in four said they had received the best support from other students. Teachers and staff do not always see the entire situation, Helenius explained, which is why it is especially important to take note of smaller issues. "Individual situations should be taken into account quickly, such as when things are said maliciously or children are left out. It would be good for other students to pay attention to the abusive treatment too, and talk about it with adults," she added. The survey results also suggest that young people find it especially important that peers come to their aid when they are being bullied, and Helenius added that this also helps the recovery process. "The experience of shame must be changed, that it was not the victim's fault. Hope for the future is important," she said.

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