New Jersey Bullying Reports Dropped Last School Year
Parents should review district policies as confirmed bullying incidents statewide declined by 12 percent.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Special Education
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New Jersey schools recorded 7,455 confirmed bullying incidents during the 2024-25 school year, down from 8,494 reports in the prior academic term. This decrease marks the second consecutive year of decline since the 2022-23 school year.
Why it matters
Tracking these incidents helps families monitor school safety climates and understand the prevalence of harassment based on race, gender, or disability. The data provides a statewide benchmark for parents assessing how their local districts manage student conduct.
Reported bullying in New Jersey fell 12% last year, dropping from 8,494 incidents in 2023-24 to 7,455 in 2024-25. Data from the 2022-23 school year recorded 9,011 confirmed incidents, highlighting a multi-year downward trend.
The players
Mount Olive school district
A local education authority that has been involved in multiple legal settlements regarding bullying and employment disputes.
Point Pleasant Board of Education
A local school governing body that settled a bullying-related legal case in 2026.
The details
School officials categorize each report based on factors like disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or race. Each incident may be assigned up to seven different natures, five distinct modes, and five effects, allowing districts to track complex patterns in student behavior.
Timeline
2021: The Mount Olive school district settled a bullying-related lawsuit.
2022-2023 school year: New Jersey recorded 9,011 bullying incidents.
2023-2024 school year: New Jersey recorded 8,494 bullying incidents.
2024: The Mount Olive school district settled an employee lawsuit.
2024-2025 school year: New Jersey recorded 7,455 bullying incidents.
The Home Front
This decline in statewide reports follows a pattern of heightened legal and fiscal accountability in school conduct set by the 2021 Mount Olive school district bullying lawsuit settlement. Schools and families now face increased scrutiny regarding how behavior incidents are documented and resolved.
Parents should check their specific school district's annual HIB (Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying) report to see how local trends compare to the state average. Review your district's official policy documentation to understand the channels available for reporting concerns.
The takeaway
While state-level reports are trending downward, families should prioritize understanding the specific behavioral policies in their local school district. Keep a record of the official student handbook and contact your school's anti-bullying specialist if you have concerns about the safety climate.
Further reading
For more information on how schools address behavior and student support, visit Special Education.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NJ.
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