Educational art-based play as a tool for bullying prevention and psychosocial skill development: A systematic review of school-based interventions

The prevention of school bullying represents a major challenge for contemporary educational systems, given its significant implications for students' psychological well-being, social adjustment, and educational outcomes. In recent years, increasing attention has been devoted to preventive educational approaches that emphasize social-emotional development, creativity, experiential learning, and positive school climate. Within this context, educational art-based play has emerged as a promising interdisciplinary approach that combines the developmental benefits of play with the expressive, symbolic, and collaborative dimensions of artistic activities. The present systematic review aims to examine and synthesize existing evidence regarding the role of educational art-based play interventions in bullying prevention and psychosocial skill development within school settings. A systematic search of the literature was conducted using major academic databases, including Scopus, PsycINFO, ERIC, and Google Scholar, focusing on studies published between 2010 and 2024. The selected studies were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings identified five major thematic areas through which educational art-based play interventions may contribute to psychosocial development and bullying prevention: (a) emotional regulation and anxiety reduction, (b) empathy development and perspective-taking, (c) social cohesion and positive school climate, (d) identity formation, self-esteem, and resilience, and (e) creative conflict resolution and cooperative problem-solving. The reviewed literature suggests that educational art-based play interventions facilitate emotional expression, social participation, experiential learning, and collaborative meaning-making, thereby promoting protective psychosocial factors associated with reduced bullying behaviors and improved student well-being. The findings support the integration of educational art-based play within school-based prevention programs and social-emotional learning initiatives and highlight its potential contribution to the development of safer, more inclusive, and emotionally supportive educational environments.