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

BACKGROUND: 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. METHODOLOGY: Various databases were searched using specific search terms and articles reviewed from the past 5 years. RESULTS: 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. DISCUSSION: 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.