New Jersey has a big bullying problem, a recent study conducted by WalletHub reveals.
Just how big is New Jersey's problem? Well, according to WalletHub it ranks in the top 5 states with the biggest bullying problem.
The Garden State ranked at No. 4 out of 48 states, including the District of Columbia. (According to the study, due to data limitations, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington were not included in the ranking.)
New Jersey's overall ranking comes thanks to the scores it received in three specific categories:
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| Bullying Prevalence | Bullying Impact & Treatment | Anti-Bullying Laws |
|---|---|---|
| No. 7 | No. 4 | No. 26 |
New Jersey also was among the top states to appear in a key metric. New Jersey placed fifth when it comes to the percentage of high school students involved in physical fights after school.
WalletHub's ranking may not come as a surprise to many due to a number of recent high profile bullying incidents.
Earlier this year, the suicide death of 14-year-old Adriana Kuch, a student at a high school in Berkeley Township, shocked an entire community, state and region. Video posted to social media showed several students viciously attacking Kuch as she was walking with her boyfriend in a school hallway. Two days later, on Feb. 3, she died by suicide at her home.
Kuch's death led to a flood of overwhelming support for her family and friends, as well as an outcry by the community to do more to prevent a similar outcome. In a meeting following the tragedy, scores of students and parents one-by-one stood at a microphone to address what they call a “culture of bullying” inside the school where the freshman was attacked in a hallway and tormented on social media days before taking her own life.The outcry led to the principal's resignation.
In another heart wrenching incident, an 11-year-old took her own life also as a result of the bullying she suffered.
On Feb. 6, Felicia LoAlbo-Melendez's body was found in a bathroom stall at her middle school in Mount Holly. Her death was ruled a suicide by hanging. It occurred two weeks after her father died from pancreatic cancer.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, her mother, Elaina told our sister station NBC10 that she reported the bullying to administrators four times in person. She also said her daughter sent about a dozen emails to her school counselor, including one only four days before her death.
Following an investigation into the girl’s death, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office closed the case. Investigators with the office said the security footage showed Felicia was alone inside the bathroom and they determined there was no foul play.
When it comes to other states in the region, both New York and Connecticut ranked toward the lower end, according to WalletHub's list. New York came in at No. 39 out of 48 states and Connecticut came in at No. 35.
While both states ranked way lower than New Jersey, they have also been plagued by instances of bullying.
In New York, for example, the parents of a 13-year-old Long Island student said their daughter was bullied and discriminated against by her classmates to the point where she was considering taking her own life, but say the school district did nothing to address it.
They are the third family to make such claims recently against the district. The father of another girl said he planned to sue the district for $2 million after seeing video online of his daughter getting pummeled in a hallway attack. He claims the school was negligent in failing to prevent or stop the assault.
Meanwhile, earlier this year in Connecticut, the town of Greenwich, agreed to pay $5 million to the estate of 15-year-old Bart Palosz who took his own life on the first day of his sophomore year after relentless bullying in the public school system. The boy was bullied for years, with more than 25 reports were filed. His parents begged the school district for help.
If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988, call the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741 anytime.
