Are your kids raring to go back to school this fall or could they be dreading the school year because of the persistence of bullies? Unfortunately, bullying problem is prevalent among children in America and parents should be aware of how much serious this happens where they live. What must they do about it?
A new study, conducted by the financial site Wallet Hub, looked into the states that have the biggest problems with bullying. Of the 45 that were analyzed, below is how they were ranked. The first set are the states with the highest rates of bullying problems, while the second state are the states with minimal bullying problems among school children.
US States With Worst Bullying Problems
1 Michigan
2 Louisiana
3 West Virginia
4 Montana
5 Arkansas
6 Texas
7 Idaho
8 Alabama
9 South Carolina
10 Alaska
US States With Minimal Bullying Problems
37 California
38 Hawaii
39 Connecticut
40 Delaware
41 Florida
42 Rhode Island
43 District of Columbia
44 Vermont
45 North Carolina
46 Massachusetts
AOL reports that in Michigan, many school kids are now choosing homeschooling instead of attending public school to avoid getting bullied. Most issues stem from racism, gender ignorance and cyber bullying. Of these kids who have become victims, at least 10 percent have apparently attempted to take their life. The public school system in Michigan is supposedly working hard to address this problem.
But if parents are aware of how bad the problem is in their area, then they can take an active part in determining and preventing bullying in schools. Experts suggest that parents must constantly have an open conversation with their children about school work and social activities, and they must pay attention to any changes in the kids' behavior. Proactive parents should also be aware of their children's online activities, per WBTW.
Ideally, parents should also work hand in hand with the school and the community to address the issue, instead of pulling the kids off classes. "It's important for these kids going back to school to really think about the role that they are playing," said psychologist Robin Kowalski in the report. Watch the video below on how parents can best handle their kids if they are being bullied in school.
