Psychological interventions for the treatment of school bullying in Latin American adolescents: a systematic review

Abstract

Bullying is a growing problem that significantly affects the well-being and emotional development of adolescents; therefore, it was necessary to find evidence-based intervention strategies. The objective of the systematic review was to identify and analyse the psychological interventions that show the greatest effectiveness in addressing bullying among adolescents in Latin America. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, using the SciELO, Scopus, Redalyc, Dialnet, and Google Scholar databases, between 2014 and 2024. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and of 101 potentially relevant records, eight studies were considered for qualitative synthesis. The literature analysis showed that interventions based on social skills training, cognitive-behavioural therapy, and psychoeducation reported favourable results in reducing bullying behaviours and improving adolescents' socio-emotional well-being. However, the findings should be interpreted with consideration of the methodological limitations and the small sample sizes of the studies analysed. There is a clear need to promote multi-component programs that involve families, professionals, and educational centers, and to strengthen mental health and education policies in the region.