In today’s world, discussing bullying issues is more critical than ever, especially with the rise of digital interactions.
Students face the dual challenge of dealing with bullying at school and online, making it essential to understand the landscape of bullying across the United States.
A comprehensive 2023 study by Innerbody provides valuable insights by analyzing and ranking states based on the prevalence of bullying.
This blog post delves into the study’s findings, exploring the states where bullying is least and most common, the factors contributing to these rankings, and the disparities that exist within different communities.
Top 11 States Where Bullying is Least Common
1. North Dakota
North Dakota stands out with the least amount of bullying in the U.S., boasting a total bullying score of just 7.23. This low score is attributed to several factors:
- Only 4.9% of North Dakotan students miss school due to fear of being bullied, the lowest among the states studied.
- The cost of truancy for schools due to bullying is also the lowest, at $0.4 million.
2. Delaware
Delaware follows with a bullying score of 10.2, significantly below the national average. Key highlights include:
- The lowest percentage of high school students are bullied on school property.
- The lowest percentage of high school students are bullied online.
3. Massachusetts
Massachusetts has a bullying score of 14.6. A notable statistic is that just over 7.5% of high school students in the Bay State have attempted suicide, which is the fifth-lowest in the U.S.
4. Indiana
Indiana’s bullying score is 16.35. While the state ranks lowest in truancy due to bullying, it faces challenges with a higher number of students attempting suicide compared to the states ranked above it.
5. Maine
Maine has a relatively low bullying score of 17.55, primarily due to few physical fights on school property and low truancy rates due to bullying.
6. Hawaii
The Aloha State scores 20.05 on the bullying scale. Hawaii ranks above average nationally for low rates of bullying on school property, online bullying, and suicide attempts.
7. South Carolina
South Carolina has a total bullying score of 21.03, notably low for a Southern state. The Palmetto State excels in having a low rate of truancy due to bullying.
8. Montana
Montana closely follows South Carolina with a score of 21.05. Similar to South Carolina, it ranks best in the low school skipping due to bullying category.
10. South Dakota
South Dakota’s total bullying score of 22.58 is largely due to low rates of physical fights on school property and low truancy due to bullying rates.
11. Missouri
Missouri rounds out the top ten with a bullying score of 22.63. The Show Me State has a low rate of people attempting suicide.
Bullying Rates: States in the Middle
12. Nebraska
Nebraska has a bullying score of 23.63, which is better than most other states. This is largely due to a low truancy rate. However, bullying on school property is higher than in the states listed above.
13. Utah
With a bullying score of 23.68, Utah is only slightly worse than Nebraska. The state ranks moderately well across most categories, particularly in having relatively low rates of physical fights on school property.
14. Connecticut
Connecticut’s bullying score of 23.9 is greatly helped by having the lowest percentage of high school students who attempt to take their lives (5.9%).
15. Rhode Island
Rhode Island has the second-lowest percentage of high school students bullied on school property and the fifth-lowest percentage of high school students bullied online. However, its total bullying score is 24.3 due to mediocre ratings in other categories.
16. Virginia
Virginia’s bullying score jumps to 27.88, with higher-than-average rates of bullying on school property and online bullying. On the other hand, it has below-average statistics for truancy due to bullying.
17. Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s total bullying score is 28.45. The state’s best category is truancy due to bullying, where it has low reported rates.
18. Wisconsin
Wisconsin ranks slightly below Oklahoma, with a total bullying score of 28.88. The Badger State ranks better than average for a low rate of students attempting suicide and truancy due to bullying, but below average in most other categories.
19. Idaho
Idaho has a bullying score of 31.38. It ranks relatively better for lower rates of physical fights on school property and truancy due to bullying.
20. Florida
Florida’s bullying score is 31.45. A poor truancy due to bullying rating drags down its overall score.
21. Ohio
Ohio’s total bullying score is 32.73. The state ranks poorly for bullying on school property and online bullying.
22. Maryland
Maryland has a relatively low rate of students being bullied on school property.
States Where Bullying is Most Common
23. Kansas
Kansas has a bullying score of 36.0. It ranks especially poorly for the number of attempted student suicides, despite relatively low rates of physical fights on school property and truancy due to bullying.
24. Kentucky
Kentucky’s total bullying score is just shy of 37.0. The Bluegrass State ranks moderately well for relatively few attempts at students taking their lives but averages poorly for all other categories.
25. Tennessee
Tennessee has a total bullying score of 37.65 and below-average rankings among the bullying categories.
26. Texas
Texas’ bullying score is 38.5, but it has the third-best rate in the nation for the lowest percentage of high school students bullied online (11.9%).
27. Iowa
Iowa is the fifth-worst state for online bullying, with a rate of 18.8%. Its best category is a low rate of truancy due to bullying.
28. Illinois
Illinois has a bullying score of 39.55. It ranks above average for having relatively few physical fights on school property and attempts at students taking their lives.
29. Alabama
Alabama has a total bullying score of 40.0. The Cotton State is one of the worst in the nation for a high rate of students being bullied on school property.
30. New Hampshire
New Hampshire has a bullying score of 41.03. The state’s lower rates of physical fights on school property are offset by other factors.
31. New York
New York also has a bullying score of 41.03. Similar to New Hampshire, its score is saved by lower physical fights on school property. However, New York has the highest percentage of high school students bullied online, at 21.8%.
32. Arizona
Arizona struggles with some of the worst online bullying in the nation, pulling its total bullying score down to 44.78.
33. New Mexico
New Mexico has low rates of reported online bullying and bullying on school property. However, its high truancy due to bullying is among the worst in America.
34. California
California is one of the worst-ranking states for bullying cases on school property, contributing to its high bullying score of 46.43. The state has relatively fewer students attempting to take their lives compared to other states.
35. North Carolina
North Carolina has a bullying score of 46.88, largely derived from being number one in the nation for having the highest percentage of high school students who missed school out of fear of being bullied (17.0%).
36. Michigan
Michigan is the state with the seventh most common occurrence of bullying. A massive 15.4% of high school students report missing school out of fear of being bullied.
37. Colorado
Colorado’s bullying score is 50.18. The state ranks above average for a relatively low number of physical fights on school property but poorly for all other categories, especially truancy due to bullying.
38. Arkansas
Arkansas has a bullying score of 50.28, ranking it among the states where bullying is most common. The online bullying category is the state’s worst offender.
39. West Virginia
West Virginia is the fourth-best state in the country for having the lowest percentage of high school students involved in physical fights at school (3.7%).
However, it has a terrible bullying score of 50.98 due to all other categories, with 20.6% of high school students bullied online being particularly troubling.
40. Mississippi
Mississippi has a bullying score of 53.1. The state is among the worst in the nation for the highest percentage of high school students who missed school out of fear of being bullied (15.1%) and for high school students who attempt to take their lives (16.2%).
41. Alaska
Alaska has a bullying score of 59.2, making it the second most common state in the U.S. for bullying. The state has poor numbers across the board, among the most notable being a 19.7% rate of high school students who’ve attempted to take their lives, the highest in the nation.
42. Louisiana
Louisiana is the state where bullying is the most common, with a bullying score of 64.25. A high percentage of high school students in physical fights (9.9%) and students who miss school for fear of being bullied (15.7%) are some of the reasons for Louisiana’s poor bullying statistics
Alicia Richards