Bullies are more likely to partake.

• Position: Substance Abuse - Brief article

Middle- and high-school students who bully their classmates are more likely than others to use substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana, finds a study published in Addictive Behaviors. Researchers have found that bullies and bully-victims--youth who are both perpetrators and victims--are more likely to use substances than are victims and noninvolved youth.

"Our findings suggest that one deviant behavior may be related to another," says lead author Kisha Radliff. "For example, youth who bully others also might be more likely to try substance use. The reverse could also be true in that youth who use substances might be more likely to bully others."

The researchers did not find as strong a link between victims of bullying and substance use.

Results show that bullying is more common among middle-school students than those who attend high school, while substance use is more prevalent among high-school students. About 30% of middle-school students are bullies, victims, or...