Bullying: Florida Ranks Among Best Places for Kids, Study Finds

TAMPA BAY, FL — Just in time for most Tampa Bay area school kids to return to class, a new study has come out shedding light on the state of bullying in Florida and across the country. When it comes to the best places in the country for kids to potentially avoid this problem, the Sunshine State scores well.

That’s according to WalletHub's 2016 States with the Biggest Bullying Problems report. The personal finance website took a look at bullying-related issues in 45 different states and the District of Columbia. The study focused in on 17 key metrics to arrive at its rankings. Metrics considered included percentage of high school students bullied on school property, percentage of high school students who attempt suicide and percentage of school districts with LGBT protections, among others.

“With back-to-school season upon us and more than 160,000 children missing school every day in the U.S. out of fear of being bullied, the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis” on the topic, spokeswoman Diana Popa said.

When all was said and done, Florida ranked 41st, which puts it in the top 10 best. Massachusetts ranked 46th – or best – overall. North Carolina, Vermont, the District of Columbia and Rhode Island also scored well.

The worst state in the country for bullying, according to WalletHub, is Michigan. Louisiana trailed closely behind.

Key metrics that helped Florida stand out from the crowd included:

• 43rd in percentage of high school kids bullied on school property
• 44th in percentage of high school kids bullied online
• 17th in percentage of high school kids involved in a physical fight at school
• 34th in percentage of high school kids who attempted suicide

To check out the full report, visit WalletHub online.

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