Anti-Bullying Interventions for School-Based Occupational Therapy Practice: A Systematic Review

School bullying is a pervasive issue with significant physical, mental, and social consequences for victims and bullies. Occupational therapy practitioners are uniquely positioned to address bullying due to their expertise in mental health, social participation, and child development. This systemati...

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Main Authors: Janet Njelesani, Hazel Cruz Castillo, Juana Merino-Lopez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Adolescents
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7051/5/2/23
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author Janet Njelesani
Hazel Cruz Castillo
Juana Merino-Lopez
author_facet Janet Njelesani
Hazel Cruz Castillo
Juana Merino-Lopez
author_sort Janet Njelesani
collection DOAJ
description School bullying is a pervasive issue with significant physical, mental, and social consequences for victims and bullies. Occupational therapy practitioners are uniquely positioned to address bullying due to their expertise in mental health, social participation, and child development. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on school bullying interventions to identify strategies that are relevant to occupational therapy practice. A systematic search was conducted across nine databases and identified 187 studies on occupation-based school bullying interventions. The review included studies employing a wide range of interventions, categorized into three tiers. Universal interventions (Tier 1) were the most effective, often following Social and Emotional Learning frameworks to foster positive school climates and address systemic bullying dynamics. Targeted interventions (Tier 2), such as peer mentoring and social skills training, demonstrated moderate effectiveness for at-risk populations. Intensive interventions (Tier 3) were less effective as standalone approaches but provided essential individualized support. This review highlights the potential for occupational therapy practitioners to play a pivotal role in addressing school bullying through evidence-based, occupation-focused interventions.
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spelling doaj-art-ac3cb1489e52445d8d2fd5c3d1374ae92025-08-20T03:26:09ZengMDPI AGAdolescents2673-70512025-05-01522310.3390/adolescents5020023Anti-Bullying Interventions for School-Based Occupational Therapy Practice: A Systematic ReviewJanet Njelesani0Hazel Cruz Castillo1Juana Merino-Lopez2Department of Occupational Therapy, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USADepartment of Occupational Therapy, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USADepartment of Occupational Therapy, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USASchool bullying is a pervasive issue with significant physical, mental, and social consequences for victims and bullies. Occupational therapy practitioners are uniquely positioned to address bullying due to their expertise in mental health, social participation, and child development. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on school bullying interventions to identify strategies that are relevant to occupational therapy practice. A systematic search was conducted across nine databases and identified 187 studies on occupation-based school bullying interventions. The review included studies employing a wide range of interventions, categorized into three tiers. Universal interventions (Tier 1) were the most effective, often following Social and Emotional Learning frameworks to foster positive school climates and address systemic bullying dynamics. Targeted interventions (Tier 2), such as peer mentoring and social skills training, demonstrated moderate effectiveness for at-risk populations. Intensive interventions (Tier 3) were less effective as standalone approaches but provided essential individualized support. This review highlights the potential for occupational therapy practitioners to play a pivotal role in addressing school bullying through evidence-based, occupation-focused interventions.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7051/5/2/23occupational therapyschool bullyingeducation
spellingShingle Janet Njelesani
Hazel Cruz Castillo
Juana Merino-Lopez
Anti-Bullying Interventions for School-Based Occupational Therapy Practice: A Systematic Review
Adolescents
occupational therapy
school bullying
education
title Anti-Bullying Interventions for School-Based Occupational Therapy Practice: A Systematic Review
title_full Anti-Bullying Interventions for School-Based Occupational Therapy Practice: A Systematic Review
title_fullStr Anti-Bullying Interventions for School-Based Occupational Therapy Practice: A Systematic Review
title_full_unstemmed Anti-Bullying Interventions for School-Based Occupational Therapy Practice: A Systematic Review
title_short Anti-Bullying Interventions for School-Based Occupational Therapy Practice: A Systematic Review
title_sort anti bullying interventions for school based occupational therapy practice a systematic review
topic occupational therapy
school bullying
education
url https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7051/5/2/23
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