file photo by Boyd Loving
By Adam Clark and Erin Petenko | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on February 13, 2017 at 5:26 PM, updated February 13, 2017 at 11:18 PM
TRENTON — New Jersey schools reported fewer bullying incidents for the fourth straight year in 2015-16, but violence in schools climbed to a five-year high, according to new state data.
The state Department of Education on Monday released its annual look at incidents in schools involving bullying, violence, vandalism, weapons and substances, which includes drugs and alcohol, a comprehensive report based on data submitted by school districts.
Confirmed incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying dropped to 5,995 in 2015-16, down from 6,214 in 2014-15, continuing a decline that’s happened every year since New Jersey implemented a strict new anti-bullying law in 2011.
