The peace pack: A computerized online assessment of school bullying

School bullying is an international problem with harmful outcomes for those involved. This study describes the design and field testing of an innovative computer-based social learning tool for assessing student perceptions of bullying developed for an Australian intervention program called the P.E.A.C.E. Pack. Students rate their peer group behavior on a series of Likert scales, provide open-ended responses, and can watch a film which they can comment on. As a social learning tool, the computerized assessment of peer victimization provides schools with an efficient system for feedback regarding bullying at a time when internationally many schools systems are being mandated to gather and report data on bullying. The system was field tested in two settings. The findings confirmed the approach kept the students engaged and pedagogically motivated. The advantages and disadvantages of using computerized assessments in school settings for anti-bullying recommendations tailored to individual and group interests is discussed.