Bullied children abuse alcohol

A new study out of Oregon indicates children who are bullied in middle school are more likely to abuse substances in high schools.

Researchers at the Oregon Research Institute studied 223 boys and girls in grades five through seven and followed them into high school. They found frequent verbal harassment is the norm in middle school rather than physical harassment and both forms decrease once a student gets to high school.

The study found verbal harassment in middle school made it three times more likely a teen would abuse alcohol in high school.

The study was published in the November issue of the Journal of Early Adolescence.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International