NJ Schools Report Over 12,000 Cases of Bullying

New Jersey education officials now have a handle on just how much bullying happens in the state's public schools.

Data made public Tuesday shows there were 12,024 incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying reported in the 2011-12 school year -- the first year the state's tough new anti-bullying law was in effect.

New Jersey used a new definition of the behaviors, so there's no previous data for comparison.

The state also says that there were fewer assaults, fights, criminal threats, robbery, extortion and vandalism last year, compared with the previous school year.

While relatively small numbers, there were more cases of students caught with weapons and drugs at school.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)