Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025)
(November 2025)

Review

Prevalence and Characteristics of School Bullying in Children and Adolescents: Evidence from a Systematic Review (2000–2024)

Published 2025-10-05

  • Khunsa Junaid
    • ,
  • Muniba Rasool
    • ,
  • Qurat-ul Ain
    • ,
  • Amjad Khan

Khunsa Junaid
Department of Community Medicine, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore 54000, Pakistan

Muniba Rasool
Department of Community Medicine, Saidu Medical College, Saidu Sharif 19151, Pakistan

Qurat-ul Ain
Department of Psychology, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan

Amjad Khan
Department of Veterinary Sciences, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64797/pels.v1i1.105

Abstract

Bullying among school-aged children and adolescents remains a major public health and educational concern worldwide. This systematic review aimed to determine the global prevalence, common types, and associated factors of bullying among secondary school students to inform effective prevention strategies. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Embase, Pakmedinet, and PsycINFO for studies published between January 2000 and December 2024. Of the 1,609 articles initially identified, 160 met the inclusion criteria, and 52 studies were ultimately included in the final analysis. Data were extracted on study design, geographic distribution, prevalence rates, forms of bullying, and identified factors. The findings revealed that bullying is highly prevalent worldwide, with particularly high rates reported in lower-middle-income and high-income countries and among students attending public secondary schools. Verbal bullying emerged as the most common form across regions, followed by physical and relational or psychological bullying, while cyber-bullying and sexual bullying were reported less frequently. The review highlights significant regional and socio-economic variations in bullying patterns and emphasizes the persistent nature of this problem. Overall, bullying remains a widespread issue affecting the well-being of children and adolescents globally, underscoring the need for coordinated, culturally sensitive, and evidence-based prevention efforts involving schools, families, healthcare providers, and policymakers to mitigate its impact and promote safer school environments.

Keywords

Bullying Prevalence, Types of Bullying, Children, Adolescents, Systematic Review

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