Understanding and Addressing Bullying in Children and Adolescents.
Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry January 1, 2026 Clarabella Sabrina Harsono, Nining Febriyana 2 citations
Bullying among children and adolescents is a complex problem encompassing physical, verbal, relational, sexual, and cyber forms, involving perpetrators, victims, and bully-victims. This narrative literature review of studies from 2000 to 2024 finds that bullying arises from individual traits like impulsivity and poor emotional regulation, family dynamics such as insecure attachment, and school and cultural influences. Neurobiologically, bullying acts as a chronic stressor dysregulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, increasing vulnerability to anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders. Interventions including Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children, Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy, and school programs like KiVa and Olweus have effectively reduced bullying and promoted well-being.