The Workshop on Aggression will gather international aggression researchers in Turku in early November

An international congress “Workshop on Aggression” will be held in Turku 4-6 November. It will gather around one hundred aggression scholars at the University of Turku. The theme of the workshop is “Prevention of aggression and violence among and against youth”.

The workshop, which is already being held for the 25th time, is focusing on aggression research, but this year many bullying researchers are also taking part. – This is perhaps due to the fact that the workshop is taking place in Turku. We are known for our bullying research and many have purposely wanted to come to Turku, says Christina Salmivalli, professor of psychology at the University of Turku, who is organising the congress. – All the Keynote speakers at the Congress are the top of the world in their field and it is really great to have them here, Salmivalli continues.

A special session on cyberbullying will be organized in collaboration with UNESCO on the first day of the workshop to mark the International Day against violence and bullying at school including cyber-bullying whose theme this year is ‘International Day against violence and bullying at school including cyberbullying‘. This session will focus on the role of the education sector in preventing and addressing cyberbullying. It will include presentations by four international experts in cyberbullying prevention and a panel discussion co-facilitated by representatives from UNESCO and the University of Turku.

– I am very happy to co-operate with UNESCO and that they are celebrating this school anti-bullying day with us also here in Turku. The session will be streamed worldwide and we expect several hundred participants,” Salmivalli says.

The congress was originally supposed to take place a year ago. – During the corona pandemic we have met with other scholars virtually, but it’s amazing to finally have a face-to-face conversation, Salmivalli rejoices. Salmivalli and her team recently got another major psychology congress to organise in Turku, about 1,000 attendees are expected at that congress in less than two years time.