Research

Research is an important part of the VERSO programme.

Recent publications

Mediation activities in the field of education have been implemented and developed in Finland since 2000. Continuous evaluation and questioning of the field's activities is a key part of its development. Over the years, the activities initiated by the VERSO programme have been examined both by Versotiim and by external evaluation.

STEA (Social and Health Organisations Support Centre) supports the activities with Veikkaus' income and requires a rigorous evaluation of their effectiveness and efficiency. The VERSO programme has successfully met these evaluation needs as evidenced by the support we have received for our activities. STEA requires not only qualitative feedback and evaluation, but also the collection of statistical data.

At the autumn 2024 nationwide RÖNSY seminar on 21.11.2024, both discussions and presentations shared experiences and information on the effectiveness of the VERSO programme! See and benefit from the slides shared at the seminar Observations on effectiveness!

On 23.3.2023 the EA INAUGURAL RESTORATIVE PRACTICE CONFERENCE took place in Belfast, Northern Ireland: WIDENING THE CIRCLE; Exploring relational and restorative schools through a local, national and international lens. Click here to watch Maija Gellin's keynote presentation Widening the RJ circle from the perspective of Finnish experiences.

In 2022, a joint publication by international researchers Restorative justice from a children's rights perspective Edited by Annemieke Wolthuis and Tim Chapman. Read chapter 16 of the book, written by Maija Gellin, PhD, here Strengthening rights and participation of children - A Finnish perspective on a restorative approach to education.

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Restorative approach and mediation in the primary school context

Restorative justice from a children's rights perspective

Annual reports of the VERSO programme

Mediation and its applications (Ervasti and Attias eds.) The book was published in spring 2022 and includes a chapter by Maija Gellin on mediation in education. The book can be found, for example, in Maija Gellin's book. From the Edilex online shop.

Published in autumn 2021 Youth work in schools and colleges an online publication edited by Heikki Kantonen, Anna-Liisa Hännikäinen-Uutela and Tomi Kiilakoski. The VERSO programme is fundamentally a youth inclusion and peer-to-peer programme, with a strong focus on social skills learning. The skills of conflict management and mediation learned in school carry through life. For an article introducing the VERSO programme, see page 40 of this publication.

Maija Gellin, PhD, gave a keynote presentation at an international seminar on 28 September 2020 (webinar) ”Restorative Justice in Education”, organised by the Scottish Network of Restorative Justice Researchers in partnership with the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research and the University of Edinburgh. Other keynote speakers were Dr. Dorothy Vaandering, Canada, Mr. Chris Straker, England and prof. Gillean McCluskey, Scotland.

Maija Gellin, Programme Director, PhD thesis entitled ”Restorative approaches and mediation in the primary school context. Towards a culture of integrative encounter” was examined at the Faculty of Education of the University of Lapland on 8.11.2019. LAUDA-database.

Maija tells more about the research process at the University of Lapland Doctoral stories-series. We also interviewed Maija about the main findings of the study On the waves of mediation -our podcast box.

Close-up of the hands; writing the mediation agreement.

The joint publication, produced by a Nordic research team in spring 2018, is available as an Open Access version from Springer. Nordic Mediation Research - edited by Anna Nylund, Kaijus Ervasti and Lin Adrian. From Finland, the authors are Kaijus Ervasti, Vaula Haavisto, Kirsikka Salminen and Maija Gellin. Article in the publication Gellin M. 2018. Mediation in Finnish schools: from conflicts to restoration provides updated information on mediation in Finnish schools in English. The articles in the book are peer-reviewed.

to the VERSO statistical reports we collect performance indicators and feedback on an annual basis. Read more and also use the information to inform your community about mediation in schools and early childhood education units! Visit statistical reports.

Report of the working group set up by the Minister for Education Preventing bullying and promoting peace at work in early childhood education and care, pre-primary and primary education and in secondary education, Publications of the Ministry of Education and Culture 2018:16, published on 16.3.2018. The proposal for the development of a mediation culture can be found on pages 24-26 and the starting points for mediation on pages 66-67. Maija Gellin, PhD, from the VERSO programme, participated in the preparation of the report as a member of the working group.

European Model for Restorative Juvenile Justice with Children and Young People - research project reports (2015) open up both the theoretical background and practices of restorative action. The research project was carried out by Tim Chapman (Univ Ulster, Northern Ireland), Monique Anderson (Univ Leuven, Belgium), Maija Gellin (Univ Lapland, Finland) and Professor Ivo Aertsen (Univ Leuven, Belgium). Finnish school mediation is part of this model - read especially volumes II and III!

On the international scene There has been much research into peer mediation and restorative approaches, methods, outcomes and impacts in schools. From our bibliography for good reading tips, as well as the bibliography of Maija Gellin's recent doctoral thesis.

The book Mediation at school (Gellin M. 2011, PS-kustannus) provides a comprehensive overview of the starting points, restorative approaches, research results and practices of mediation in Finnish schools and educational institutions.

Article from Restorative learning in school MGellin 2011 provides a description and research data on the peer mediation activities carried out by the VERSO programme during its first ten years of operation (2001-2010).

A wide range of information on restorative justice theory and approaches, practices, research projects and research findings can be found in. European Forum for Restorative Justice from the website.