Gijs Huitsing

Dr. Gijs Huitsing is an Associate Professor in Sociology at the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen. His primary research focuses on bullying dynamics, anti-bullying interventions, and social network analysis. He leads the KiVa anti-bullying program implementation in the Netherlands and has pioneered evidence-based approaches to tackle bullying through group-level interventions. His work emphasizes the role of peer networks and school environments in fostering social-emotional development.

Research Interests:
- Bullying prevention strategies,
- Social network interventions,
- Prosocial/antisocial behavior in schools,
- Teacher-student relationships,
- Program evaluation in education.

Notable Achievements:
- Veni Grant (NWO, 2017),
- KiVa program's large-scale replication success,
- Over 120 peer-reviewed publications,
- Collaborations with institutions like RIVM and the Respect Foundation.

Current Projects:
- GRIPP program development for secondary schools,
- Longitudinal studies on bullying leadership dynamics,
- Teacher-training initiatives for bullying intervention.