Abstract:

Safety is a foundational element of learning and wellbeing at school. School safety is comprised of physical, mental, social and pedagogical safety. The absence of safety in any of these areas negatively affects sense of safety, and thereby school wellbeing.

Interventions are widely used in education to resolve problematic or complex phenomena. School safety is a major concern which interventions can focus on. There are many forms of interventions developed to make schools safer places to learn. Intervention studies in schools require evidence-based programs, so that limited time and other resources can be utilized for maximum results. Interventions are significant for improving school safety, as they may also reduce the risk of violence, bullying and harassment among students.

The framework of this study is founded on a holistic understanding of school safety, where all safety dimensions are tied in together. This review study investigates which proposed measures of interventions that promote social and mental wellbeing, by either reducing bullying, harassment and violence or encouraging positive alternative behavior, are most effective in use at schools. The scope covers grades K-12, and focuses solely on educational contexts.
Methodologically, the study combines features of an umbrella review, a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis. The data were gathered systematically from two databases (Scopus and Ebsco) and by using the Google Scholar search engine. A total of 271 reviews were identified by using 22 different search terms. Following a systematic quality assessment, 22 review studies were selected for qualitative thematic analysis. The data consists of review studies focusing on bullying, harassment and violence in education among K-12 aged students.

The results of the review present a summary of recommended measures used to produce social and mental safety in schools. The results show that a majority of review studies focused on bullying behavior and preventing violence in schools. Having analyzed the recommendations in the data, this study proposes a model that can be used in various educational contexts to support planning an intervention in its early phases.

Keywords:

School safety, interventions, bullying, harassment, violence.