Nursing Interventions against Bullying: A Systematic Review

Abstract

(1) Background: Bullying is a worldwide public health problem, with short- and long-term physical, mental, and socio-economic implications for all involved, including consequences as serious as suicide. (2) Objective: The aim of this study is to compile data on nursing interventions for preventing and addressing bullying at the international level. (3) Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the guidelines laid out in the PRISMA statement. The search included papers written in Spanish, English, and Portuguese over the previous five years from the following databases: Web of Science, CUIDEN, CINHAL, BDENF, Cochrane, Lilacs, and PubMed. The following descriptors were used: “Acoso escolar AND Enfermería”, “Bullying AND Nursing” and “Intimidação AND Enferma-gem”. Due to the heterogeneity in the methodology of the studies, a narrative synthesis of the results is provided. (4) The synthesis of results shows nurses’ involvement in tackling and preventing bullying. Interventions are categorised into awareness raising; coping mechanisms; and approach/care, nursing skills in the face of bullying, and the role of the family in the face of bullying. (5) Conclusions: It is clear that at the international level, nursing is involved in planning and developing autonomous and interdisciplinary interventions to address and prevent bullying. The evidence paves the way for school nurses and family and community nurses to take steps to tackle this phenomenon.

Attitudes, Self-Confidence, and Knowledge of Primary Care Professionals towards School Bullying

“…It is defined as aggressive and recurrent conduct intended to cause harm carried out by one or more students against another student and involving a power imbalance. This conduct takes various forms, from physical intimidation to social exclusion [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Its consequences, both immediate and long-term, are potentially devastating, harming physical, mental, social, and emotional health, diminishing quality of life, and can be a cause of suicide [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ].…”

The Relationship between Bullying and Emotional State among Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Correlation Study

“…Bullying is intentional and persistent violence by a perpetrator towards a peer. It may involve exploiting a physical, psychological, or social power imbalance, and a student may become a habitual victim [ 1 ]. It is a severe problem affecting nursing students and has contributed to the falling number of individuals in the nursing profession [ 1 ].…”

“…It may involve exploiting a physical, psychological, or social power imbalance, and a student may become a habitual victim [ 1 ]. It is a severe problem affecting nursing students and has contributed to the falling number of individuals in the nursing profession [ 1 ]. Bullying is a serious problem in nursing education, both in person and online.…”

“…This often occurs among students who use social networking sites, chat rooms, and instant messaging applications. Students are often unaware that using social media can lead to cyberbullying [ 1 , 3 ].…”

“…However, bullying has become a global concern, affecting more than 60 million workers in the United States. There has been a lack of information about the impact of academic harassment on conflict management in higher educational institutions [ 1 ].…”