TULSA, Okla. — 2 News has been following the case of an Owasso High School student's death after a fight at school.
Medical experts haven't ruled on that student's cause of death, and investigators haven't tied the fight to bullying, but it's prompted a lot of conversation about bullying.
Oklahoma is ranked ninth in the country for bullying, according to Wallethub.
As a former student in Oklahoma, Alexandria Davidson knows firsthand. She says she was bullied in high school.
"I've had problems with bullying myself just because I'm different," Davidson said.
According to Faith Crittenden of Family Children Services, it's not tattling; it's telling when someone's getting bullied. She says finding a trusted adult is what students should do if they're going through it.
"They're likely not the only person experiencing the bullying. We would want to take care of them as the victim of that, but we would also want to wrap around the bully to understand what is motivating that behavior," Crittenden said.
- Previous story>>> 16-year-old Owasso student laid to rest after unexpected death
2 News asked Crittenden what motivates bullies.
"There is something that's underlying them, some dissatisfaction they have in their lives- some kind of turmoil. They don't know what to do with that, so it comes out in some hostile way," Crittenden said.
As Davidson experienced, the results of bullying can be life-altering.
"I had a friend last year who was very hardly bullied, and he committed suicide, so I won't be able to see him again," Davidson said.
As students get older, experts say bullying tends to get extreme and more sophisticated. They say phones and other similar technology do not help.
Crittenden says bullying can be emotional, sexual, physical, or verbal, depending on the ages involved.
Whether students are in elementary, middle, or high school, Crittenden says it's happening in Oklahoma.
"We do know there are certain segments of the population who tend to get bullied more," Crittenden said. "It is kids that fit into categories that appear to be different. Our LGBTQAI kiddos tend to be bullied more than other peers."
2 News reached out to Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters.
In a statement, he said in part, "Any behavior that threatens the safety and security of our students is unacceptable. OSDE provides school support resources and our Awareity reporting system where anyone can share concerns about bullying and cyberbullying."
Owasso police nor the Owasso school district has confirmed the student who died the day after getting into a fight last week was a result of bullying. However, 2 News has seen many comments from the victim's friends and family members that say it could have been a factor.
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