Bullying also occurs in college

MANHATTAN, Kan., June 6 (UPI) -- Bullying isn't just a problem on grade school playgrounds or high school locker rooms -- bullying also carries over to college, U.S. researchers said.

"We know that some bullying carries over into college," Judy Lynch of Kansas State University said in a statement.

Lynch said bullying at college can be used to get an unpopular girl to quit a sorority, or it can stem from relationships students bring from home, like social conflicts in their schools or neighborhoods. It also could include an instructor feeling bullied by a student, or vice versa.

Lynch and Elaine Johannes are surveying nearly 500 Kansas State freshmen about bullying and if students reveal they're being bullied, "we have the mechanics in place to address the problem."

Lynch and Johannes will also use the surveys to offer ideas to the Kansas Board of Education to help schools meet the requirements of a new anti-bullying law. The law, which took effect last January, says that schools in the state must have anti-bullying policies, plans and preventative measures in place.

"Many schools survey students about bullying during the school year, but most don't ask students what they know about anti-bullying programs and whether they found them effective," Johannes said.