The Personal Experiences Checklist short form (PECK-SF) : tests of invariance across gender and over time

Peer-victimization is a frequent experience for many children and adolescents. Accurate measurement of peer-victimization is essential for better understanding such experiences and informing intervention work. While many peer-victimization and bullying scales exist, they often lack important psychometric information. The short form of the Personal Experiences Checklist (PECK-SF) provides a brief measure of peer-victimization. Existing psychometric data supports the use of the scale as a measure of peer-victimization. However, there are no reports of invariance testing, limiting our ability to confidently use the scale to compare scores across boys and girls and for use in longitudinal research studies. Therefore, the aim of this study is to test the PECK-SF for invariance across gender and over time. Data were collected as part of a longitudinal study of 11- to 14-year-olds who provided data at two time points 2 months apart (NTime 1 = 744 NTime 2 = 333). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the one-factor structure of the PECK-SF. Invariance testing demonstrated strict invariance over time and across gender. The use of the PECK-SF is recommended when examining gender differences, or conducting longitudinal studies, in peer-victimization