Helsinki's Preschools: A Unique Approach to Tackling Bullying from Early Childhood - Transforming Helsinki's Childcare with 13 Guidelines

The step Helsinki is taking this autumn is quiet yet significant. The city is beginning to implement a common model that unifies prevention, intervention, and parental collaboration to ensure that all kindergartens respond to bullying with the same standards and procedures. While it might seem like a modest news item, aligning rules from "each kindergarten" to "city-wide" is nothing less than building a foundation to avoid missing small daily signs. According to the city's announcement, training for staff will be conducted, and support materials for parental meetings will be prepared. Prevention and early intervention will become the "standard operation" in childcare. Helsingin kaupunki

Why now? The answer lies in the voices of the children. A survey in the capital region revealed that 14% of children cited "bullying" as the "thing they dislike the most" in childcare, with many mentioning conflicts among children. Signs already appear before adults typically focus on "bullying after elementary school." Children define bullying in their own words as "hitting," "name-calling," "excluding," and "making others feel bad." If this "verbalization of feelings" spreads, teachers and parents can notice and act more quickly.

Numbers also support the validity of the policy. The Child Ombudsman's "Child Barometer," which conducted over 400 telephone interviews with preschool children nationwide, showed results of 1% "always bullied," 56% "sometimes," and 17% "not always having friends." These numbers indicate not only persistent bullying but also the frequency of intermittent and sporadic micro-incidents. Not overlooking the accumulation of small pains—this model is designed with precisely that mindset. Yle.fiHelsingin kaupunki

At the core of Helsinki's common model is a series of measures called KVO13 (Kiusaamisen Vastainen Ohjelma: Anti-Bullying Program). The city has published "13 measures," clearly stating procedures from crisis response to daily prevention and visualization methods. Updates were made in the 2024-2025 fiscal year based on feedback from the field and pilot operations. This provides a standard for judgment in "gray areas" where differences in approach can easily arise between kindergartens. Helsingin kaupunkiKasko Newsletter

Of course, this is not an issue unique to Helsinki. Multiple media outlets, including Finland's public broadcaster Yle and the Helsinki Times, are reporting on the strengthening of initiatives at the childcare stage. The important thing is the shared recognition that "starting from school is too late." Quickly intervening in small exclusions or rough behavior in play settings with the same procedures prevents them from escalating during school age. Yle.fiHelsinki Times

The intersection of systems and real-life examples should not be overlooked. In 2024, Finland's first restraining order for "bullying" was confirmed, and it was reported that the perpetrating behavior ceased as a result. While the reach of the law differs from the childcare setting, the message of "how far society can go to protect victims" certainly heightens the tension in the field. Yle.fi

SNS Reactions: Support and "Tangible Feelings from the Field"

Following this move, while generally positive reactions are noticeable on social media and forums, there are also realistic voices stating that "not just the system, but manpower and training are key." On Reddit's Finland-related threads, posts based on real feelings continue, such as "bullying in childcare is illegal, and kindergartens have a responsibility to respond," and "accumulation of 'light' acts like name-calling and exclusion." The city's unified model is precisely a prescription for addressing such "accumulation of lightness." Reddit

Additionally, in threads of parents living in the Helsinki area, realistic perspectives are shared, such as "subtle exclusion based on language (Finnish/Swedish, immigrant family languages)" and "the environment of classmates is important enough to affect school and kindergarten choices." The risk of bullying exists regardless of culture or class, and early social education and parental involvement are becoming widely agreed upon as important. Reddit

What Becomes the "New Standard"

• Common Words and Rules: Create definitions and agreements on bullying in words children can understand. By having kindergartens, families, and administration speak the same vocabulary, the time lag from discovery to intervention is reduced.

• 13 Action Steps (KVO13): Connect prevention, observation, recording, communication, consensus-building, and follow-up in a single line, clearly defining who does what and when. Helsingin kaupunki

• Staff Training and Parental Support: By preparing materials for interviews and training, reduce the "individual differences" in response. Helsingin kaupunki

Implications for Japan

Helsinki's initiative demonstrates the value of refining the "granularity" of systems. Bullying should be treated not as an "incident" but as a collection of "tiny signs scattered in daily life," and common procedures help in picking them up. Evidence of early intervention presented by the UK's Anti-Bullying Alliance also supports this direction. Anti-Bullying Alliance

Ultimately, what the city changes is the "atmosphere." An atmosphere where even a single joke in a playground feels connected to "someone's safety." This connects from childcare to school and the community. Helsinki's common model is a concrete manual for creating that atmosphere. Helsingin kaupunki

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