The five Bs
The cyclical approach was developed in collaboration with Tessa Kaufman, a scientific researcher and lecturer in Pedagogy and Educational Sciences at Utrecht University, and Rick Bloemberg, KiVa product developer and board member of GRIPP.
The approach consists of five steps: Observe, Understand, Decide, Adjust and Assess. In short: the 5 Bs. The approach helps to interpret bullying behaviour in the context of the group and provides direction for an appropriate action plan.
This not only increases the likelihood of stopping the bullying, but also helps replace bullying behaviour with positive, helpful and connecting behaviour within the group.
Explanation of the five Bs
1. Observe: You map out signals that may indicate a bullying situation.
2. Understand: You get to work interpreting the signals and try to gain insight into
the function of the bullying behaviour.
3. Decide: You draw up an action plan, based on what you have learned in
steps 1 and 2.
4. Adjust: You carry out the actions and/or adjust the situation.
5. Assess: You evaluate whether the bullying has stopped and whether the actions have been effective.
Has the bullying not stopped yet? This is often a sign that the actions did not sufficiently address the function of the bullying behaviour. In that case, you start again by observing and understanding.
Download the guidance document Five steps to intervene in bullying here.