[profileleft]
[/profileleft]As we’ve discussed recently, October is National Bullying Prevention Month. We’re going to continue to focus on this serious problem by bringing as much awareness to it as possible. Wallethub.com recently released a report that ranks states in terms of their bullying problems. The report contains several interesting and troubling pieces of information. The more we know about bullying in general, the more likely it becomes that we will recognize it when it is occurring and help to put a stop to it. The children’s rights lawyers at Gomez Trial Attorneys work every day to protect bullying survivors. Contact the firm if you need help with this type of a situation.
About the Bullying Report
Wallethub.com may not seem like a likely source for such a report, as it is a financial wellness and improvement portal. However, bullying is something that is a financial drain on the entire country, and that’s why the Web site put this report together. Those interested in seeing the full report can find it here. The report included data from 45 states and the District of Columbia. Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington were not included because of limitations with data.
The report took three factors into account when completing the rankings. These factors, measured in each of the participating jurisdictions, included:
- Bullying prevalence
- Bullying impact and treatment
- Anti-bullying laws
Different metrics were used to assign a score to each of these factors, and the jurisdictions were ranked accordingly. According to the report, the 5 jurisdictions with the worst bullying problems, in order, are:
- Michigan
- Louisiana
- West Virginia
- Montana
- Arkansas
The 5 states with the least bullying problems include:
- Rhode Island
- District of Columbia
- Vermont
- North Carolina
- Massachusetts
The report delved into different statistics as well, and we’d like to present a few of them here.
Highest Percentage of High School Students Bullied on School Property:
- Nebraska
- Idaho
- Michigan
- Montana
- West Virginia
Highest Percentage of High School Students Bullied Online:
- Idaho
- West Virginia
- Nebraska
- Maine
- Michigan
Highest Cost of Truancy for Schools Due to Bullying:
- California, Texas and New York (tie)
- Illinois
- New Jersey
What Can Be Done About Bullying
This report clarifies the notion that bullying is a problem everywhere in the United States. The vast majority of bullying incidents go off without anyone intervening. Other studies show that the mere act of intervening often puts a stop to that incident. As an adult, if you see bullying occurring, step in and put a stop to it. If you suspect that bullying is ongoing with your child or with a child you know but you don’t see it happening, talk to those in a position of authority who can do something about it. This could be other parents, school officials, members of the community or if necessary, law enforcement. If you need help protecting the health, safety and dignity of a child who has been or who is being harmed, contact the children’s rights lawyers at Gomez Trial Attorneys for a free case evaluation.
