You Should Worry About Your Children’s Safety More If You Live in These States

Photo by Thang Nguyen

Article courtesy of iSharing.

Montana is the state where children face the highest safety risks, according to a May 2026 report by iSharing, a family location tracking app that offers real-time location sharing. The study analyzed missing children cases, kidnappings, school bus crashes, and school shootings across all 50 states to determine where kids are statistically most vulnerable.

Montana ranks as the most dangerous state for children, with an incident rate of 116, over seven times higher than in the safest regions.
Tennessee and Arkansas follow close behind, both showing high rates of violent crime against minors and frequent school incidents.
The safest state for children is Maine, with only 235 yearly incidents.

To identify where children are most at risk,

the study collected data across six harm categories: missing children, aggravated assault, rape, kidnapping, school bus fatal crashes and school shootings. Each state’s total statistics were divided by population and calculated as incidents per 100K residents to ensure a fair comparison between larger and smaller regions. States with higher rates offer statistically less safe environments for children.

Here are the 10 states where parents should be most worried about their children:

State	Population	Safety Score	Total Incidents	Incidents Per 100K
Montana	1.15M	55.21	1333	115.7
Tennessee	7.37M	47.02	8368	113.4
Arkansas	3.13M	42.07	3533	112.7
Kansas	2.98M	52.20	3078	103.0
New Mexico	2.12M	39.68	1940	91.3
Missouri	6.29M	51.23	5648	89.7
Michigan	10.15M	51.07	8742	86.1
Oklahoma	4.14M	46.34	3523	84.9
Colorado	6.03M	53.58	4640	76.9
South Carolina	5.65M	45.65	4326	76.6

You can access the complete research findings here.

1. Montana

Population: 1.15M
Safety score: 55.2/100
Total incidents: 1,333
Incidents per 100K: 115.7

Montana is the most dangerous state for children, with roughly one incident for every 860 residents. Despite having just over one million people, the state documented more than 1,300 cases involving minors in a single year. Aggravated assault makes up the bulk of those cases, with close to 600 attacks on teenagers ages 10 to 19 alone. For parents in Montana, the data suggests that raising children here carries statistically higher risks than almost anywhere else in the country.

2. Tennessee

Tennessee ranks second, with about one incident for every 880 residents. The state reported over 8,300 total cases affecting minors, the highest raw number among the top five. Aggravated assault drives most of that total, with more than 6,000 attacks on children. Kidnapping rates are also elevated, with nearly 500 reported abductions of minors. Tennessee’s large population means more total incidents, but even after adjusting for size, the state remains near the very top. Parents here face risks roughly six times higher than in the safest states.

3. Arkansas

Arkansas takes third place, with about one incident for every 890 residents, just behind Tennessee. The state has roughly three million people, yet documented over 3,500 cases affecting children. Aggravated assault rates are especially high, with more than 2,300 attacks on minors. Rape reports are also concerning, with close to 1,000 cases involving children. Arkansas has the lowest safety score among the top three, meaning overall community safety is already poor. For children here, broader community risks appear to translate directly into higher vulnerability.

4. Kansas

Kansas ranks fourth, with about one incident for every 970 residents. The state documented just over 3,000 total cases affecting minors, with aggravated assault making up the majority. Kidnapping rates are notably high here, with more than 300 reported abductions of children, placing Kansas among the worst states for that category. Kansas also recorded nearly 30 school shootings, putting it near the top for school-related violence. Parents here face a combination of everyday violent crime and rare but catastrophic school incidents that few other states match.

5. New Mexico

New Mexico comes in fifth, with about one incident for every 1,100 residents. Aggravated assault accounts for roughly 1,300 of those cases, while kidnapping rates are also elevated at more than 160 reported abductions. New Mexico has the lowest safety score among the top five, meaning overall community safety is severely compromised. For children growing up here, the environment itself carries elevated risk across multiple categories.

A spokesperson from iSharing, a go-to family location tracking app for global citizens with over 60 million downloads and a 4.8 app store rating, commented on the study:

“Safety ratings matter, but parents also need the ability to respond quickly when something goes wrong. Over 50 million families worldwide are now using real-time location sharing tools, because even the safest cities can’t eliminate every risk. In low-crime cities, parents still rely on features like Place Alerts to know when kids arrive at school safely, or the panic button for instant help if something feels off during their evening walk, and these tools become a necessity it high-risk areas.”