Participatory Design in Digital Interventions for Bullying and Cyberbullying: A Systematic Review

Bullying and cyberbullying remain pervasive, yet many digital prevention programs underperform due to limited end user fit. Participatory design (PD), which actively involves end users in creation, is often proposed, while a synthesis of how its methods translate into effective anti-bullying interventions is lacking. This systematic review examines how PD with children and educators contributes to the effectiveness of digital interventions. Searches of six databases retrieved 28 studies using PD to develop digital interventions. Our review highlights five themes: (1) age-tailored roles and designs; (2) theory-aligned PD mechanisms; (3) technology-need alignment; (4) implementation and outcomes; and (5) challenges and constraints. This review underscores PD’s potential to improve bullying and cyberbullying prevention when user-centered design is combined with technological innovation. We specify PD components linked to implementation quality and preliminary outcomes, offering a practical framework for user centered digital prevention. Future work should prioritize underrepresented groups and long term evaluation to optimize PD-based interventions.