Half a chance student bullied, or has bullied

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A state survey finds that there’s more than a 50% chance a student in Minnesota schools has been bullied or has bullied someone else.

The analysis by the Departments of Health and Education uses data from a survey of more than 130,000 students. It found that 13% of respondents reported being bullied regularly – once a week or more.

Education specialist Nancy Riestenberg says students regularly involved in mistreatment, either as a bully or as a victim, are less likely to earn As or Bs. They skip school more often and have higher rates of using tobacco, alcohol and drugs.

The state’s education commissioner, Brenda Cassellius, tells Minnesota Public Radio News ( http://bit.ly/jMlTgl), the survey is proof that school officials must do more to address bullying.

Information from: Minnesota Public Radio News, http://www.mpr.org