The P.E.A.C.E. Pack Program in Italian High Schools: An Intervention for Victims of Bullying

Annalisa Guarini, Laura Menabò, Damiano Menin, Consuelo Mameli, Grace Skrzypiec, Phillip Slee and Antonella Brighi
Additional contact information
Annalisa Guarini: Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Laura Menabò: Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Damiano Menin: Faculty of Education, Free University of Bolzano, 39042 Bressanone, Italy
Consuelo Mameli: Department of Educational Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Grace Skrzypiec: College of Education Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, South Australia, 5001 Adelaide, Australia
Phillip Slee: College of Education Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, South Australia, 5001 Adelaide, Australia
Antonella Brighi: Faculty of Education, Free University of Bolzano, 39042 Bressanone, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-14

Abstract: Background: Bullying is a serious public issue, which mainly occurs in school with negative consequences for the students involved as victims. Very few teacher-delivered interventions have shown positive changes in the victims. The present study aimed at implementing the P.E.A.C.E. (Preparation, Education. Action, Coping, Evaluation) pack program, developed in Australia, in Italian high schools. Method: The effectiveness of the program was analyzed through an observational study (pre/post-intervention), involving 551 Italian high school students who completed a questionnaire on bullying victimization, self-efficacy, and bystander behavior. The students were divided into three groups (not involved students, occasional and severe victims) according to their self-reported victimization in the pre-intervention. Results: After the intervention, severe victims (victimized once/week or more often) showed a significant decrease in victimization and higher scores in self-efficacy, while an increase in victimization was observed in the not involved students. As reported by all the groups after the intervention, classmates were perceived more likely to intervene when a bullying episode occurred. By contrast, occasional and severe victims perceived their teachers as less likely to intervene. Conclusions: The P.E.A.C.E. pack is a promising program confirming in Italian schools the effectiveness already shown in other countries. This program is very useful for severe victims, supporting their self-confidence with a decrease in the frequency of aggressive episodes.

Keywords: bullying; victimization; teacher; adolescents; self-efficacy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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