Bullying among children and adolescents in the SAARC countries: A scoping review

Bullying is defined as repetitive and intentional aggression by an individual or group towards other individuals that happens in a power differential between the individuals being bullied and the bullies. There is increasing recognition of how bullying occurs among children and adolescents and its long-term effects. There is a dearth of research on bullying from the Lower- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). This scoping review focused on the research from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations that share a common history, similar demographics, and socio-cultural background.

Various databases were searched using specific search terms and articles reviewed from the past 5 years.

Of 194 articles identified, 53 met the criteria for inclusion in the review. There is a wide variation in the number of studies done across the SAARC nations. The prevalence of bullying victimization ranged from 4.1% to 95% and from 16 to 85% for perpetration. Only 3 interventions conducted in India and Pakistan showed some efficacy of play, the teaching of skills and multicomponent interventions to deal with bullying, each made culturally relevant.

This review highlights the lacunae in the research conducted on bullying in the Indian sub-continent. It also highlights the need for contextually appropriate definitions, long term effects on the health and well-being of bullying, and socially appropriate interventions to address bullying.