States With The Biggest Bullying Problems

by Author Contribution 10/11/2023

written by Author Contribution 10/11/2023

About 20% of students ages 12-18 experience bullying, whether in-person, online or both.

By Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer

Bullying takes many forms, from spreading rumors and insults to physical violence and property destruction

About 20% of students ages 12-18 experience bullying, whether in-person, online or both. Bullying takes many forms, from spreading rumors and insults to physical violence and property destruction. Technological advances have opened new ways for bullies to hide behind anonymity on the internet, too.

Besides the physical, emotional and psychological tolls it takes on victims, bullying produces adverse socioeconomic outcomes. The Association for Psychological Science found that those who are bullies, victims or both are more likely to experience poverty, academic failure and job termination in their adulthood than those who were neither. In addition, the affected individuals are more likely to commit crime and to abuse drugs and alcohol.

Even our schools take a financial hit from bullying. Research shows that schools stand to lose millions of dollars in attendance-based funding due to students staying home to avoid bullying.

In light of this serious issue plaguing our youth, WalletHub measured the prevalence and prevention of bullying in 47 states and the District of Columbia to help bring awareness to its harmful effects not only to America’s young people but also to society as a whole. We examined each state based on 20 key metrics, ranging from the bullying-incident rate to truancy costs for schools to the share of high school students bullied online.

States with the Biggest Bullying Problems

Overall Rank*	State**	Total Score	Bullying Prevalence	Bullying Impact & Treatment	Anti-Bullying Laws
1	California	62.53	1	5	37
2	Alaska	62.28	2	26	7
3	Nevada	53.12	4	19	4
4	New Jersey	51.91	7	4	26
5	Louisiana	50.71	3	7	47
6	Pennsylvania	50.24	11	2	31
7	Georgia	50.21	12	6	21
8	Wisconsin	50.19	8	34	3
9	Oklahoma	49.86	5	24	11
10	Wyoming	48.21	9	44	2
11	Arizona	47.92	14	27	5
12	Ohio	47.91	13	9	25
13	Iowa	47.63	10	31	10
14	New Hampshire	47.00	15	30	8
15	Mississippi	46.54	22	13	6
16	Tennessee	44.88	6	15	40
17	Texas	44.73	27	1	30
18	West Virginia	44.51	21	17	14
19	Nebraska	42.53	16	38	12
20	Arkansas	40.58	20	20	28
21	Montana	40.55	32	42	1
22	South Carolina	40.33	29	22	13
23	Missouri	40.04	31	32	9
24	Kansas	39.17	23	33	23
25	Alabama	39.14	18	21	36
26	Kentucky	38.72	19	25	33
27	North Carolina	37.62	42	10	16
28	Idaho	37.23	25	37	22
29	Illinois	35.80	37	8	34
30	Maryland	35.75	28	16	38
31	North Dakota	35.55	26	43	20
32	Florida	35.12	40	3	43
33	Michigan	34.70	39	14	24
34	Vermont	34.29	17	47	27
35	Connecticut	34.17	24	39	41
36	Hawaii	34.07	33	36	18
37	Colorado	33.53	30	18	48
38	South Dakota	33.24	35	35	19
39	New York	33.14	38	11	46
40	New Mexico	32.49	46	23	15
41	Virginia	32.18	41	12	32
42	Indiana	31.37	34	28	35
43	Utah	28.07	36	40	44
44	Maine	25.96	43	41	39
45	District of Columbia	25.42	44	48	17
46	Rhode Island	24.76	45	46	29
47	Massachusetts	20.85	47	29	45
48	Delaware	11.97	48	45	42