New data scores all states on cyberbullying prevalence, online safety laws, school programs, and mental health support to reveal where children are most and least protected.
Key Findings:
- New study ranks all 50 U.S. states on children’s online safety, scoring each on legislation, cyberbullying rates, mental health support, and school program adoption
- Georgia leads the rankings with a Child Online Safety Score of 89.69, while Nebraska scores just 45.06, the lowest in the country
- School CEO urges parents, particularly those homeschooling, to take proactive steps to protect children online, regardless of where they live
Children are spending more time online than ever before. They are learning, socializing, and entertaining themselves across a growing number of digital platforms. With that comes real risk. Cyberbullying, exploitation, and exposure to harmful content are among the threats families across the U.S. face daily. Some states have passed comprehensive online safety legislation and training; others have significant gaps, leaving children more vulnerable.
“No matter which state a child grows up in, proactive habits are the most reliable form of protection. Teaching children to think critically about what they share online, who they interact with, and how to recognize harmful situations builds a foundation that legislation alone can’t provide,” says David Smith, CEO of Silicon Valley High School.
Silicon Valley High School, an innovative online institution that uses AI-powered tools to deliver personalized, accessible education, has conducted a study ranking all 50 U.S. states on how well they protect children online. With online schooling becoming an increasingly common choice for American families, understanding the safety environment in which children are operating has never been more important.
To build the rankings, Silicon Valley High School analyzed seven key factors: recorded online safety threats, cyberbullying prevalence, mental health support availability, statewide safety legislation, criminal sanctions for cyberbullying, child privacy policies, and school internet safety program adoption. These were combined into a Child Online Safety Score, a composite index in which higher scores indicate stronger protections for children.
“Teaching children to think critically about what they share online, who they interact with, and how to recognize harmful situations builds a foundation that legislation alone can’t provide…”
The Best States for Children’s Online Safety
Table 1: The Top 10 Best States for Children’s Online Safety
| Rank | State | Online Safety Threats | Cyberbullying Prevalence (%) | Mental Health Support(per 100,000 people) | Presence of Statewide Online Safety Legislation (Y/N) | Cyberbullying Protection Measures (Y/N) | Child Privacy Protection Policies (Y/N) | School/Library Internet Safety Programs (Y/N) | Schools Adopting Online Safety Programs | Legislation Score | Child Online Safety Score |
| 1 | Georgia | 86 | 48.0% | 46 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4 | 89.69 |
| 2 | Mississippi | 21 | 62.8% | 51 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4 | 88.93 |
| 3 | Arkansas | 38 | 49.1% | 40 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4 | 88.93 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 35 | 61.9% | 50 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4 | 88.47 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 76 | 25.3% | 19 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4 | 88.10 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 39 | 54.1% | 48 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4 | 86.59 |
| 7 | Arizona | 84 | 61.0% | 47 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4 | 86.39 |
| 8 | Louisiana | 37 | 62.8% | 44 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4 | 86.32 |
| 9 | Alabama | 250 | 48.6% | 49 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4 | 85.71 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 64 | 51.4% | 34 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4 | 85.69 |
Every state in the top 10 achieved a perfect Legislation Score of 4, meaning each has statewide online safety laws, criminal sanctions for cyberbullying, child privacy protections, and school internet safety programs in place. This legislative foundation helps separate these states from the rest of the country.
Georgia leads the nation with a Child Online Safety Score of 89.69. The state recorded 86 online safety threat incidents and a cyberbullying prevalence of 48.0%, one of the lower rates among top-ranking states, while offering 46 mental health professionals per 100,000 people.
Mississippi and Arkansas both scored 88.93, sharing second place. Mississippi recorded just 21 online safety threat incidents, the second lowest in the top 10, and benefits from 51 mental health support professionals per 100,000, the highest of any state in the rankings. Arkansas posted a cyberbullying prevalence of 49.1% and 40 mental health professionals per 100,000. Both states have adopted the full suite of legislative protections.
“Higher rankings reflect what’s possible when legislation, school programs, and mental health resources work together,” says David Smith, CEO of Silicon Valley High School. “Infrastructure provides a strong foundation, but it doesn’t replace the conversations families need to have at home about what their children are seeing and doing online. Tools like parental monitoring software can add another layer of protection on top of what the state provides.”
Pennsylvania stands out because its cyberbullying prevalence of 25.3% is the lowest among the top 10 by a considerable margin, contributing to its score of 88.10 despite recording 76 online safety threat incidents.
“Where cyberbullying rates are lower, parents can still reinforce safe habits by encouraging open conversations with their children about online interactions and setting clear boundaries around screen time and app usage,” advises Smith.
The Worst States for Children’s Online Safety
Table 2: The 10 Worst States for Children’s Online Safety
| Rank | State | Online Safety Threats | Cyberbullying Prevalence (%) | Mental Health Support(per 100,000 people) | Presence of Statewide Online Safety Legislation (Y/N) | Cyberbullying Protection Measures (Y/N) | Child Privacy Protection Policies (Y/N) | School/Library Internet Safety Programs (Y/N) | Schools Adopting Online Safety Programs | Legislation Score | Child Online Safety Score |
| 1 | Nebraska | 19 | 65.5% | 8 | YES | NO | YES | YES | YES | 3 | 45.06 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 38 | 64.7% | 26 | NO | YES | YES | YES | YES | 3 | 46.34 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 9 | 70.0% | 23 | YES | NO | YES | YES | YES | 3 | 48.68 |
| 4 | Maine | 11 | 78.6% | 33 | YES | NO | YES | YES | YES | 3 | 49.26 |
| 5 | Wyoming | 10 | 44.4% | 42 | YES | NO | YES | YES | YES | 3 | 52.04 |
| 6 | Minnesota | 47 | 50.7% | 24 | YES | NO | YES | YES | YES | 3 | 53.32 |
| 7 | Alaska | 52 | 53.9% | 31 | NO | YES | YES | YES | YES | 3 | 54.42 |
| 8 | New Mexico | 23 | 50.0% | 43 | YES | NO | YES | YES | YES | 3 | 60.02 |
| 9 | California | 523 | 54.4% | 12 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4 | 64.87 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 9 | 78.6% | 3 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4 | 70.13 |
Seven of the bottom 10 states scored a Legislation Score of just 3, meaning each is missing at least one key protection, most commonly criminal sanctions for cyberbullying or a comprehensive statewide online safety law.
Nebraska ranks last with a Child Online Safety Score of 45.06. Despite recording only 19 online safety threat incidents, the state has no cyberbullying criminal sanctions and offers just 8 mental health professionals per 100,000 people, the second lowest figure in the entire dataset. That shortage of support services weighs heavily on its score.
“A low number of reported incidents doesn’t tell the whole story,” says Smith. “When mental health resources are thin, children who experience online harm have far fewer places to turn. Parents should look into online counseling services and make sure their children know they can come to them when something feels wrong.”
Wisconsin scored 46.34, with a cyberbullying prevalence of 64.7% and no statewide online safety legislation, a notable gap for a state of its size. New Hampshire follows at 48.68, posting the third-highest cyberbullying prevalence in the bottom 10 at 70.0% and lacking criminal sanctions for cyberbullying.
Maine and Rhode Island share the highest cyberbullying prevalence in the entire study at 78.6%, meaning nearly four in five children in those states report having experienced cyberbullying at some point. Rhode Island, despite holding a Legislation Score of 4, scores just 70.13, pulled down by only 3 mental health professionals per 100,000, the lowest figure across all 50 states.
“For homeschooling families in particular, geographical differences in resources and regulations matter enormously. A child in Nebraska or Wisconsin doesn’t have the same access to school-based safety programs as one in Georgia or Pennsylvania. The gap makes it even more important for parents to seek out digital literacy resources independently and build those responsible online habits at home,” said Smith.
California is the most striking entry in the bottom 10, recording 523 online safety threat incidents, nearly five times more than any other state in either table. Despite a full Legislation Score of 4 and strong privacy protections, the sheer volume of incidents drives its score down to 64.87.
“Parents across all of these states can take practical steps regardless of local legislation,” Smith explains. “This includes enabling parental controls on devices, regularly reviewing the apps their children use, and keeping lines of communication open about online experiences.”
Guest Contributor
Guest contribution by Silicon Valley High School website (https://svhs.co/). Doing so will help us offer more stories and studies in the future.
About Silicon Valley High School
Silicon Valley High School is an innovative, tech-driven online institution dedicated to transforming education through personalized, AI-powered learning experiences. With a patented suite of AI tools and strategic partnerships with tech leaders such as AWS, SVHS creates a secure and engaging learning environment designed for 21st-century students. Their approach combines academic excellence with accessibility, delivering education that is inclusive, integrity-driven, and designed for the demands of modern learning.
David Smith is the CEO and spokesperson for Silicon Valley High School.
Methodology
Silicon Valley High School analyzed data across seven factors to produce each state’s Child Online Safety Score. Online safety threats were drawn from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center 2024 State Report, measuring recorded child exploitation incidents per state. Cyberbullying prevalence figures, reflecting the percentage of children who have experienced cyberbullying in their lifetime, came from the Cyberbullying Research Center. Mental health support figures, namely, clinical and counseling psychologists and child therapists per 100,000 people, were sourced from Cloudwards. Legislative data, including the presence of statewide online safety laws, criminal sanctions for cyberbullying, and school program adoption, were sourced from the Cyberbullying Research Center’s bullying laws database. Child privacy protection policies were assessed using data from EPIC and Inside Privacy. Compliance with the school and library internet safety program was assessed against federal CIPA requirements.
The Child Online Safety Score is a composite index weighting legislation (30%), school program adoption (25%), and online safety threats, cyberbullying prevalence, and mental health support (15% each). The Legislation Score reflects the presence of four key protections: statewide online safety legislation, criminal sanctions for cyberbullying, child privacy policies, and school or library internet safety programs.
Full dataset available on request.