Idaho has room to improve on safety
Do you feel safe?
They say life is 90 percent perception, so the answer may depend upon one’s perspective.
Many of us have a dual personality approach to security: On one hand, we venture out daily with confidence, knowing each foray out of the house will result in a safe return home. On the other hand, worrisome world events and personal problems tend to inflate our perceptions of security.
How safe is the average person? An American Psychological Association survey concluded Americans are now the most stressed about safety since 2008. Safety isn’t only about being spared from mass violence or criminal attack; factors such as job and housing security, health, and traffic risks also have an impact.
For National Safety Month, WalletHub compared data collected by government and nonprofit agencies that measured 37 personal and financial safety indicators across 50 states. They considered rates of violent crimes and abuse, fraud and identity theft, emergency and public safety services, health insurance and joblessness, and many other factors — all adding up to what makes us feel secure.
Turns out some states are safer than others. The report concluded the safest states are Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts; the least safe are Mississippi, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
While Idaho’s overall ranking is a perfectly average 24, neighboring Washington made the top 10, ranking sixth-safest in the nation.
That’s not to say our state is merely mediocre. Idaho ranked No. 1 in pedestrian and bicycle safety, with the lowest auto-pedestrian and cyclist fatality rate (recent headline notwithstanding). Idaho also ranked among the 10 safest in at least one category of violence, with the seventh-lowest murder rate in the country. We just missed the top 10 with our low rates of fraud (12) and identify theft (14).
However, we didn’t fare as well in other forms of personal safety, such as rapes (ranking 28 out of 50; Washington — 23), drug abuse (20; Wash. 5), and elder abuse (40; Wash. 30). Same goes for financial safety, so intricately enmeshed with other indicators; Idaho ranked 28 in poverty (Wash. 19) and dead last — 50 — in debt-per-income rate (Wash. 15). With more than 14 percent of Idahoans lacking health insurance, we ranked 38th in this category (Wash. 22).
Perhaps the two most disturbing, especially where children are concerned, are tragically connected: Idaho’s suicide rank — a poor 45, and bullying — 44. Online bullying was also high: 21 percent of high school students report being bullied online, such as on social media sites.
Those numbers don’t quite add up to a secure future.
To view the full report, see https://wallethub.com/edu/safest-states-to-live-in/4566/
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Sholeh Patrick is a columnist with the Hagadone News Network. Contact her at Sholeh@cdapress.com.