THE P.E.A.C.E. PACK & S.I.T.E. SOFTWARE: Interventions to Reduce Bullying in Australian Schools

Background: The evidence is now quite clear that bullying in schools is an international problem. Bullying is widely regarded as a particularly destructive form of aggression with harmful physical, social and emotional outcomes for all involved (bullies, victims and bystanders), with particular risks for children with special needs. The research of the last 25 years confirms its widespread nature where it is most likely in groups from which the potential victim cannot escape eg schools. In 1994 an Australian Commonwealth Government inquiry, following on from the pioneering work of research documented by Smith, Morita, Olweus, Junger-tas, Catalano & Slee (1999), heralded a growing awareness of the need to address the issue of school violence, particularly bullying. Internationally, researchers, including Smith (2003) have identified the impact of intervention programs to reduce school bullying. In Australia, a nationally and internationally used, systemically based, intervention program called the P.E.A.C.E. Pack, has previously been shown in primary schools to be effective in reducing bullying in primary schools. Synergic Information Technology & Education (S.I.T.E.) software is versatile and multifunctional, and is discussed in detail as a survey instrument that allows a school to administer a survey, collate the data and obtain feedback on student perceptions of bullying in the school.