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These days kids may not have to worry quite as much about bullies taking their lunch money.

That’s because a new study in U.S. News and World Report suggests that bullying among students is on the decline.

Research shows over the past 10 years the prevalence of bullying and related behaviors declined significantly.

Hundreds of thousands of students surveyed in grades 4-12 report bullying toward them personally has declined.

Study lead author Tracy Evian Waasdorp, who is with the department of mental health at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said, “We found that bullying and related behaviors were decreasing, which indicated improvements in student behaviors and school climate.”

What is the reason for the reported decline? Waasdorp said, “it is possible that policy changes, as well as increased attention to and awareness of bullying nationally, are factors that likely contributed to these improvements over time.”

There are also fewer students saying they’re seeing bullying happening at school.

Experts say more work needs to be done.

Kids are using more and more social media, making a rise in cyber bullying a concern for school administrators.

**Read more on the study, here**