You’d expect that kids who bully would be more likely to get in trouble when they’re older, right? That just makes sense. What about kids who are bullied?

As it turns out, they’re more likely to have issues with the law, as well. In fact, 14 percent of men and women who said they were bullied also had gone to prison repeatedly, according to a recent study. In comparison, only 6 percent of those who hadn’t been bullied had spent time in jail.

Women were particularly susceptible to this affect—and most likely to have difficulties with drugs or alcohol, too.

“The walkaway from this is being a victim regardless of the time is pretty strongly associated with subsequent legal problems,” says Michael Turner, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina, “but it was the chronic victims who experienced the highest odds of subsequent involvement in the system.” (NPR)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife Wendy and his two children. Follow him on Twitter.