Bullying in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Literature Review of Risk Factors, Contexts, and Prevention Strategies

Febi Wulandari; Aan Listiana; Rita Mariyana

doi:10.35445/alishlah.v18i2.9763

Bullying in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Literature Review of Risk Factors, Contexts, and Prevention Strategies

Febi Wulandari, Aan Listiana, Rita Mariyana

Abstract

Bullying in early childhood has gained increasing attention due to its long-term impact on children’s social, emotional, and psychological development. However, existing reviews largely focus on school-aged populations, resulting in limited synthesis specific to early childhood, inconsistent conceptual definitions, and insufficient evidence on intervention effectiveness. This study aims to synthesize research trends and identify key determinants and intervention strategies related to bullying in early childhood education. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. A structured search was performed in the Scopus database using the search string: TITLE-ABS-KEY ("bullying" AND ("early childhood" OR preschool OR kindergarten)). An initial broad search identified 32,709 records, which were refined to 798 topic-relevant studies. After applying inclusion criteria (journal articles, English language, open access, Scopus-indexed) and quality appraisal using CASP and MMAT, eight articles were included for qualitative synthesis. The findings indicate that bullying in early childhood is shaped by multi-level factors, including biological predispositions, peer relationship dynamics, parental and teacher perceptions, socioeconomic conditions, and digital environments. Conceptual inconsistencies were identified, with some studies interpreting aggressive behavior as normal developmental conflict, while others emphasize repetition, intentional harm, and power imbalance. Evidence on intervention effectiveness remains limited, although school-based programs show potential. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive, evidence-based prevention strategies. Implications include strengthening teacher training, integrating anti-bullying curricula, and enhancing parent–school collaboration. This review contributes by providing a focused synthesis of early childhood bullying and identifying directions for future research and intervention development.

Keywords

early childhood bullying; preschool peer aggression; early childhood education; systematic literature review; bullying prevention

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v18i2.9763