Violence Prevention Policy Practices in Schools: A Systematic Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25217/ji.v10i2.5670Keywords:
School Violence, Prevention Policy, Mental Health, Restorative Justice, Inclusive EducationAbstract
prevention policies and practices in schools, focusing on the key factors that influence their effectiveness and the role of social, cultural and economic contexts. The approach used was Systematic Literature Review (SLR), analyzing 35 articles from highly ranked journals to synthesize evidence on the implementation and outcomes of school violence prevention policies. The review showed that key elements of effective policies include staff training, restorative approaches, mental health support, and inclusive policy design. In addition, social norms, cultural sensitivity and economic resources were found to have a significant influence on the successful implementation of the policy. This study provides practical implications in the form of recommendations to strengthen school leadership, increase community engagement, and prioritize mental health services in violence prevention strategies. This study contributes to the literature by offering a detailed framework for developing more effective and adaptive violence prevention policies, while emphasizing the importance of an approach that is responsive to the local context. The findings of this study offer a novel contribution by integrating contextual factors such as social, cultural and economic factors into the development of a school violence prevention framework, which is often overlooked in previous studies.
References
Astor, R. A., Benbenishty, R., Capp, G. P., Watson, K. R., Wu, C., McMahon, S. D., Worrell, F. C., Reddy, L. A., Martinez, A., Espelage, D. L., & Anderman, E. M. (2024). How school policies, strategies, and relational factors contribute to teacher victimization and school safety. Journal of Community Psychology, 52(1), 39–57. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.23084
Brown, J., Keesler, J., Karikari, I., Ashrifi, G., & Kausch, M. (2022). School Principals Putting Bullying Policy to Practice. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(1–2), NP281–NP305. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520914553
Cascardi, M., King, C. M., Rector, D., & DelPozzo, J. (2018). School-Based Bullying and Teen Dating Violence Prevention Laws: Overlapping or Distinct? Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 33(21), 3267–3297. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260518798357
Cornell, D., & Limber, S. P. (2015). Law and policy on the concept of bullying at school. American Psychologist, 70(4), 333–343. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038558
Crawford, C., & Burns, R. (2015). Preventing school violence: assessing armed guardians, school policy, and context. Policing, 38(4), 631–647. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-01-2015-0002
Davis, A. M. H., & Bourne, P. A. (2016). Implementing Effective Programs to Increase Safety and Reduce Bullying in Connecticut Private Schools, USA: A Policy Perspective. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.4172/1522-4821.1000344
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021a). 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
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021b). 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
Francis, J. (2022). School Built Environments and Bullying Behaviour: A Conceptual Model Based on Qualitative Interviews. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(23). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315955
Francis, J., Strobel, N., Trapp, G., Pearce, N., Vaz, S., Christian, H., Runions, K., Martin, K., & Cross, D. (2022). How does the school built environment impact students’ bullying behaviour? A scoping review. In Social Science and Medicine (Vol. 314). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115451
Gower, A. L., Cousin, M., & Borowsky, I. W. (2017). A Multilevel, Statewide Investigation of School District Anti-Bullying Policy Quality and Student Bullying Involvement. Journal of School Health, 87(3), 174–181. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12480
Hall, W. (2017). The effectiveness of policy interventions for school bullying: A systematic review. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 8(1), 45–69. https://doi.org/10.1086/690565
Hall, W. J., & Chapman, M. V. (2018). The Role of School Context in Implementing a Statewide Anti-Bullying Policy and Protecting Students. Educational Policy, 32(4), 507–539. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904816637689
Hall, W. J., & Dawes, H. C. (2019). Is fidelity of implementation of an anti-bullying policy related to student bullying and teacher protection of students? Education Sciences, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9020112
Hanaya, A., McDonald, Z., & Balie, L. (2020). Teacher Agency in South African Education Policy Related to School Safety. Africa Education Review, 17(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2018.1467734
Hatzenbuehler, M. L., Flores, J. E., Cavanaugh, J. E., Onwuachi-Willig, A., & Ramirez, M. R. (2017). Anti-bullying Policies and Disparities in Bullying: A State-Level Analysis. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 53(2), 184–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2017.02.004
Haugen, S. J., Sutter, C. C., Tinstman Jones, J. L., & Campbell, L. O. (2020). School District Anti-Bullying Policies: a State-Wide Content Analysis. International Journal of Bullying Prevention, 2(4), 309–323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42380-019-00055-1
Hoefer, R., Black, B., & Ricard, M. (2015). The impact of state policy on teen dating violence prevalence. Journal of Adolescence, 44, 88–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.07.006
Lessard, L. M., & Puhl, R. M. (2021). Reducing Educators’ Weight Bias: The Role of School-Based Anti-Bullying Policies. Journal of School Health, 91(10), 796–801. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.13068
Madfis, E., Hirschfield, P., & Addington, L. A. (2021). School Securitization and Its Alternatives: The Social, Political, and Contextual Drivers of School Safety Policy and Practice. School Psychology Review, 50(2–3), 191–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2020.1855063
Mayer, M. J., Nickerson, A. B., & Jimerson, S. R. (2021). Preventing School Violence and Promoting School Safety: Contemporary Scholarship Advancing Science, Practice, and Policy. School Psychology Review, 50(2–3), 131–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2021.1949933
McGeough, B. (2022). An Analysis of Statewide Anti-bullying Laws Employing the Iowa Safe Schools Law as a Case Study. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 39(1), 97–106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-020-00700-5
McVie, S. (2014). The Impact of Bullying Perpetration and Victimization on Later Violence and Psychological Distress: A Study of Resilience Among a Scottish Youth Cohort. Journal of School Violence, 13(1), 39–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2013.841586
Nikolaou, D. (2017). Do anti-bullying policies deter in-school bullying victimization? International Review of Law and Economics, 50, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irle.2017.03.001
Nishijima, M., & Pal, S. (2023). Compulsory Schooling Laws, Overcrowding, and Youth Crime: A Quasi-Experimental Study of Brazilian Municipalities. Journal of Development Studies, 59(10), 1589–1607. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2023.2218000
Prince, H. (2020). Anti-Bully Legislation: Effects for Youth in United States Schools. Justice Evaluation Journal, 3(2), 245–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/24751979.2020.1749870
Puhl, R. M., Suh, Y., & Li, X. (2017). Improving anti-bullying laws and policies to protect youth from weight-based victimization: parental support for action. Pediatric Obesity, 12(2), e14–e19. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.12129
Purdy, N., & Smith, P. K. (2016). A content analysis of school anti-bullying policies in Northern Ireland. Educational Psychology in Practice, 32(3), 281–295. https://doi.org/10.1080/02667363.2016.1161599
Reeping, P. M., Gobaud, A. N., Branas, C. C., & Rajan, S. (2021). K–12 School Shootings: Implications for Policy, Prevention, and Child Well-Being. In Pediatric Clinics of North America (Vol. 68, Issue 2, pp. 413–426). W.B. Saunders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2020.12.005
Renbarger, R., Rehfeld, D., & Sulak, T. (2022). Law enforcement in schools: Resource or barrier? Theory into Practice, 61(3), 336–346. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2022.2096384
Riwanto, A., Harisudin, M. N., Suryaningsih, S., & Firmandiaz, V. (2023). Addressing Campus Sexual Violence: A Collaborative Governance Approach to Legal Policy. Volksgeist: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum Dan Konstitusi, 6(2), 225–244. https://doi.org/10.24090/volksgeist.v6i2.9523
Russell, S. T., Day, J. K., Ioverno, S., & Toomey, R. B. (2016). Are school policies focused on sexual orientation and gender identity associated with less bullying? Teachers’ perspectives. Journal of School Psychology, 54, 29–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2015.10.005
Sandwick, T. (2019). Fostering community, sharing power: Lessons for building restorative justice school cultures. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 27. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.27.4296
Sandwick, T., Hahn, J. W., & Ayoub, L. H. (2019). Fostering community, sharing power: Lessons for building restorative justice school cultures. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 27. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.27.4296
Sdrolia, E., & Zarotiadis, G. (2019a). A comprehensive review for green product term: from definition to evaluation. Journal of Economic Surveys, 33(1), 150–178. https://doi.org/10.1111/joes.12268
Sdrolia, E., & Zarotiadis, G. (2019b). A comprehensive review for green product term: from definition to evaluation. Journal of Economic Surveys, 33(1), 150–178. https://doi.org/10.1111/joes.12268
Studer, J. R., & Mynatt, B. S. (2015). Bullying Prevention in Middle Schools: A Collaborative Approach: Collaborative, Proactive Anti-Bullying Interventions and Policies That Strive to Create and Sustain a Safe Environment for All Adolescents. Middle School Journal, 46(3), 25–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/00940771.2015.11461912
Susanto, S. (2023). Child mentoring to cultivate resilience of vulnerability to bullying. Bulletin of Community Engagement, 3(1), 36-44. https://doi.org/10.51278/bce.v3i1.448
Swartz, K., Osborne, D. L., Dawson-Edwards, C., & Higgins, G. E. (2016). Policing Schools: Examining the Impact of Place Management Activities on School Violence. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 41(3), 465–483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-015-9306-6
Tian, Y., Yang, J., Huang, F., Zhang, X., Wang, X., Fan, L., Du, W., & Xue, H. (2023). An Analysis of the Association between School Bullying Prevention and Control Measures and Secondary School Students’ Bullying Behavior in Jiangsu Province. Behavioral Sciences, 13(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13110954
Velez, G. (2020). Rethinking Responses to Youth Rebellion: Recent Growth and Development of Restorative Practices in Schools. Current Opinion in Psychology, 35, 36–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.02.011
Velez, G., Hahn, M., Recchia, H., & Wainryb, C. (2020). Rethinking Responses to Youth Rebellion: Recent Growth and Development of Restorative Practices in Schools. In Current Opinion in Psychology (Vol. 35, pp. 36–40). Elsevier B.V. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.02.011
Waasdorp, T. E., Fu, R., Perepezko, A. L., & Bradshaw, C. P. (2021). The role of bullying-related policies: Understanding how school staff respond to bullying situations. European Journal of Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2021.1889503
Yusoff, N., Alias, M., & Ismail, N. (2023). Drivers of green purchasing behaviour: a systematic review and a research agenda. F1000Research, 12, 1286. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.140765.1
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 M Fahmi Zakariyah, Desika Putri Mardiani, Muchamad Arif, Varia Virdania Virdaus, Yahya Raja Ado, Mochamad Nursalim, Wiwin Yulianingsih

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.