Effectiveness of programs to prevent school violence among children
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19864318Keywords:
School violence, intervention programs, technology monitoringAbstract
Violence is a problematic reality that affects all levels of society, including schools, causing social, emotional, and psychological harm from early childhood onward. This has led to the creation of prevention programs in classrooms. However, it is difficult to verify the effectiveness of these programs due to a lack of evidence, as they lack quantifiable data and do not use validated instruments. The objective of this research was to identify and analyze the scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of prevention programs (PPs) implemented in schools to reduce or prevent violent behavior among children, based on studies published between 2015 and 2025. The study began with a systematic review that identified 21 articles covering 22 programs using the PRISMA 2020 protocol; a quantitative and technology watch approach was applied, and the Rayyan tool was also used. The data revealed a greater use of quasi-experimental designs employing pre- and post-intervention measures, as well as standardized and validated questionnaires, including the European Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (EBIPQ) and surveys derived from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. This approach enabled the measurement of behavioral, emotional, and attitudinal changes in students under 15 years of age. The study also identified programs that employed descriptive analysis, multivariate models, multiple regression, and qualitative approaches. It is worth noting the limited information available on educational programs for children under five years of age. These findings highlight the need to strengthen context-specific educational programs, with an emphasis on early childhood and the educational realities of Latin America.
Downloads
References
Ahtola, A., Haataja, A., Kärnä, A., Poskiparta, E., Salmivalli, C., & Holopainen, L. (2013). Implementation of anti-bullying lessons in primary classrooms: How important is head teacher support? Educational Psychology, 33(3), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2012.745458
Baixauli Gallego, E. (2015). Prevenció de la violència a l’escola: Una propuesta de intervenció. Anuari de Psicologia, 16(2), 33–51. https://doi.org/10.7203/anuari.psicologia.16.2.33
Barrios, L., & Contreras, A. (2019). Primera infancia y prevención de la violencia: Una mirada desde la psicología del desarrollo. Revista Infancia y Sociedad, 21(2), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.22370/ris.2019.21.2.1613
Behar Leiser, O., Jordán Tróchez, M., Castillo Muñoz, J., & Ardila Behar, C. (2024). Educomunicación para la prevención de la delincuencia y la violencia escolar en adolescentes. Revista Criminalidad, 66(2), 125–135. https://doi.org/10.47741/17943108.609
Beltrán Villamizar, Y. I., & Herrera Díaz, L. J. (2016). Análisis comparativo del programa de prevención del hostigamiento escolar Olweus y del proyecto Sevilla anti-violencia escolar. Revista de Pedagogía, 37(101), 13–40.
Bombi, A. S., Cannoni, E., Gallì, F., & Norcia, A. D. (2020). Children’s pictorial representation of their interactions with teachers. Psicología Educativa, 27(1), 13–20. https://doi.org/10.5093/psed2020a14
Bowes, L., Babu, M., Badger, J. R., Broome, M. R., Cannings-John, R., Clarkson, S., Hutchings, J., & Stand Together Team. (2024). Effects and costs of an anti-bullying programme (KiVa) in UK primary schools: A multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial. Psychological Medicine, 54(15), 4362–4373. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291724002666
Briones, L. (2020). Causas, efectos y prevención del bullying escolar en niños y adolescentes. Editorial Académica Española.
Carrasco, C., Alarcón, R., & Trianes, M. V. (2015). Eficacia de una intervención psicoeducativa basada en clima social, violencia percibida y sociometría en alumnado de educación primaria. Revista de Psicodidáctica, 20(2), 247–262. https://doi.org/10.1387/RevPsicodidact.13206
Cerezo, F., & Méndez, I. (2018). Preschool aggression: Epidemiology, prevention and intervention. Psychology, Society & Education, 10(2), 155–163. https://doi.org/10.25115/psye.v10i2.2189
Cook, T. D., Campbell, D. T., & Shadish, W. (2010). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Houghton Mifflin.
Domitrovich, C. E., Durlak, J. A., Staley, K. C., & Weissberg, R. P. (2017). Social-emotional competence: An essential factor for promoting positive adjustment and reducing risk in school children. Child Development, 88(2), 408–416. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12739
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
Duarte, J., & Mendoza, A. (2021). Las escuelas como espacios para la construcción de la paz y la convivencia. Revista Innova Educación, 3(1), 94–119. https://doi.org/10.35622/j.rie.2021.01.005
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x
Estévez, E. (2006). Violencia, victimización y rechazo en la escuela. Editorial Síntesis.
Fernández de Juan, T. (2017). El arte que cura: Aplicación de técnicas frente a la violencia. Arteterapia, 12, 95–107. https://doi.org/10.5209/ARTE.57564
Ferrer-Cascales, R., Albaladejo-Blázquez, N., Sánchez-SanSegundo, M., Portilla-Tamarit, I., & Lordan, O. (2019). Effectiveness of the TEI program for bullying and cyberbullying reduction and school climate improvement. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(4), 580. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16040580
Gaffney, H., Ttofi, M. M., & Farrington, D. P. (2019). Evaluating the effectiveness of school-bullying prevention programs. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 45, 111–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2018.07.001
Garaigordobil, M. (2011). Psicopatologías relacionadas con la violencia escolar. Papeles del Psicólogo, 32(1), 27–35.
González Bellido, A. (2021). Programa TEI: El alumno como protagonista de la prevención de la violencia y el acoso escolar. INFAD Revista de Psicología, 2(2), 47–58.
Heckman, J. J. (2006). Skill formation and the economics of investing in disadvantaged children. Science, 312(5782), 1900–1902. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1128898
Herkama, S., Kontio, M., Sainio, M., Turunen, T., Poskiparta, E., & Salmivalli, C. (2022). Facilitators and barriers to sustainability of an anti-bullying program. Prevention Science, 23(6), 954–968. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-022-01368-2
Humphrey, N., Lendrum, A., & Wigelsworth, M. (2021). Making the case for universal school-based mental health interventions. Educational Psychology Review, 33, 1049–1075. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09563-2
Jiménez-Barbero, J. A., Ruiz-Hernández, J. A., Llor-Zaragoza, L., Pérez-García, M., & Llor-Esteban, B. (2016). Effectiveness of anti-bullying school programs: A meta-analysis. Children and Youth Services Review, 61, 165–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.12.015
Kvestad, I., Adolfsen, F., Ángeles, R. C., Brandseth, O. L., Breivik, K., Evertsen, J. G., Foer, I. K., Haaland, M., Homola, B. M., Hoseth, G. E., Jonsson, J., Kjerstad, E., Kyrrestad, H., Martinussen, M., Moberg, A., Moberg, K., Skogstrand, A., Solberg, L. R., & Aasheim, M. (2024). Effectiveness of a bullying intervention (Be Prox) in early childhood education settings. JMIR Research Protocols, 13, e60626. https://doi.org/10.2196/60626
Mariyati, L. I., Nisaa’ul Ulaa, A. H., Hapsari, A. P., & Ismail, R. N. (2025). Realizing a child friendly school through anti bullying and environmentally friendly strategies at TK Aisyiyah Bustanul Athfal III Candi [Mewujudkan sekolah ramah anak melalui strategi anti bullying dan ramah lingkungan di TK Aisyiyah Bustanul Athfal III Candi]. Indonesian Journal of Cultural and Child Development (IJCCD), 16(1), 1–03. http://journal.umsida.ac.id/index.php/ijccd
Mazadiego, T., Huerta, C., & Pérez, E. (2017). Intimidación y maltrato en una muestra de niños. Voces de la Educación, 2(2), 102–111.
Mendoza Huachani, W. A., & Turpo Gebera, O. (2025). Artes plásticas para la sensibilización y prevención de la violencia escolar: Un estudio de caso en Arequipa (Perú) [Plastic arts for awareness and prevention of school violence: A case study in Arequipa (Peru)]. European Public & Social Innovation Review, 10, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2025-1911
Ministerio de Educación del Ecuador. (2023). Modelo de atención integral de los Departamentos de Consejería Estudiantil (DECE). https://educacion.gob.ec
Ministerio de Educación del Ecuador. (2023). Normativa para la convivencia armónica y cultura de paz. https://educacion.gob.ec
Moazami Goodarzi, A., Zarra Nezhad, M., Hytti, M., Heiskanen, N., & Sajaniemi, N. (2021). Training early childhood teachers to support children’s social and emotional learning: A preliminary evaluation of the Roundies program. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(20), 10679. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010679
Olweus, D. (2013). School bullying: Development and some important challenges. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 9, 751–780. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050212-185516
Ortega-Ruiz, R., Del Rey, R., & Casas, J. A. (2016). Assessing bullying and cyberbullying: Spanish validation of EBIP-Q and ECIP-Q. Psicothema, 28(1), 71–79. https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2015.71
Pérez Daza, M. A., Córdoba Alcaide, F., Ortega Ruiz, R., & Benítez Sillero, J. (2023). Programa de bolsillo anti acoso escolar: Diseño desde un equipo de orientación educativa. Revista Española de Orientación y Psicopedagogía, 34(2), 149–167. https://doi.org/10.5944/reop.vol.34.num.2.2023.38071
Sanguino Gómez, A. M., Gualdrón Porra, T., & Rodríguez Quiñonez, D. A. (2023). Formación lúdica pedagógica en el desarrollo integral de habilidades sociales para prevenir la violencia sexual de niños, niñas y adolescentes, San Andrés Santander. Revista Criterios, 30(2), 12–27. https://doi.org/10.31948/rev.criterios/30.2-art1
Šmigelskas, K., Vaičiūnas, T., Lukoševičiūtė, J., Malinowska Cieślik, M., Melkumova, M., Movsesyan, E., & Zaborskis, A. (2018). Sufficient social support as a possible preventive factor against fighting bullying in school children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(5), 870. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15050870
Smith, J. D., et al. (2019). Implementation science in education. Educational Researcher, 48(9), 585–595.
UNESCO. (2024). Entornos de aprendizaje seguros. https://www.unesco.org
World Health Organization. (2020). Preventing violence in schools: A practical guide. https://www.who.int
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The journal is licensed under the Attribution License (CC BY), allowing the possibility of copying, distributing, displaying, and producing derivative works, as long as the author is acknowledged and cited.







