Mapping the literature on school bullying in India: A scoping review

Abstract

School bullying has been identified as a major issue among students throughout the world. With around 260 million school students, the largest student population in the world, it becomes essential to investigate this issue in the Indian context. The present work uses the Arksey and O'Malley (2005) framework for scoping review to examine the nature of research on school bullying in India and identify research gaps to be addressed by future research. The review maps the concepts examined, research approaches used, sample characteristics, data collection methods, researcher characteristics, and nature of publications in relation to bullying. Seven databases - JSTOR, PsycNET, Cochrane Reviews, ERIC, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials - were searched for sources containing the terms “bullying” and “India” published in English and between the years 2015 and 2022. Thirty-eight sources selected for the review suggest that existing research in India on school bullying is limited compared to the West and yet provides a guiding light to future researchers. The findings from this review highlight research gaps in the existing literature and outline areas for further exploration.