Peer-reviewed article
Understanding and Addressing Bullying in Children and Adolescents.
Harsono CS, Febriyana N ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This narrative literature review examines bullying among children and adolescents, including physical, verbal, relational, sexual, and cyber forms. The review synthesizes research from 2000-2024 across psychology, education, public health, and law, with focus on global and Indonesian contexts. Bullying arises from individual traits, family dynamics, and school and cultural influences, and acts as a chronic stressor affecting mental health. Several interventions including Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children, Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy, and school programs like KiVa and Olweus have shown effectiveness in reducing bullying. The review concludes that comprehensive multilevel approaches integrating psychological, educational, familial, and legal strategies are needed.
Key points
- Bullying includes physical, verbal, relational, sexual, and cyber forms involving perpetrators, victims, and bully-victims
- Bullying arises from individual traits (impulsivity, poor emotional regulation), family dynamics (insecure attachment, low cohesion), and school and cultural influences
- Bullying acts as a chronic stressor that dysregulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, increasing vulnerability to anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders
- Interventions such as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children, Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy, KiVa, and Olweus programs have effectively reduced bullying
- Addressing bullying requires collaboration among schools, families, policymakers, and integration of psychological, educational, familial, and legal strategies
Limitations
As a narrative literature review, this work synthesizes existing research but does not present original empirical data or conduct systematic analysis with predetermined inclusion criteria. The document does not provide detailed quantitative outcomes or comparative effectiveness data between different interventions.
Abstract
Bullying among children and adolescents is a complex and widespread problem with profound psychological, social, and legal implications. It includes physical, verbal, relational, sexual, and cyber forms involving perpetrators, victims, and bully-victims. This narrative literature review synthesizes findings from studies published between 2000 and 2024 across disciplines including psychology, education, public health, and law. Data were sourced from PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, focusing on global and Indonesian contexts. Bullying arises from a combination of individual traits (e.g., impulsivity and poor emotional regulation), family dynamics (e.g., insecure attachment and low cohesion), and school and cultural influences. Theoretical frameworks such as the social learning and attachment theories help explain how bullying behaviors are learned and reinforced. Neurobiologically, bullying acts as a chronic stressor that dysregulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, thereby increasing the vulnerability to anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders. Legally, many countries, including Indonesia, have implemented child protection laws that emphasize restorative justice. Interventions such as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children, Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy, and school-based programs such as KiVa and Olweus have effectively reduced bullying and promoted psychosocial well-being. Addressing bullying requires a comprehensive multilevel approach that integrates psychological, educational, familial, and legal strategies. Sustainable and culturally relevant interventions supported by collaboration among schools, families, and policymakers are crucial for fostering safe and supportive environments for children and adolescents.