A new report released as students across the country return to school finds bullying, poverty and mental illness are on the rise among Canadian youth and urges action from policy-makers to improve the lives of children.
The Raising Canada report says more than 70 per cent of Canadian youth between the ages of 12 and 17 experienced bullying in the last year, and more than 13 per cent of children were living in poverty by the end of 2024.
The annual report compiles various data from the government, university research and consultations with youth and subject matter experts to determine top threats to childhood well-being in Canada.
Sara Austin, CEO and founder of charity organization Children First Canada, which commissioned the report, says this year's findings highlight "a generation at risk" as many of those threats continue to worsen.
She says increased levels of bullying stand out as one of the most shocking findings, with more than two-thirds of youth having experienced bullying, and one in five kids experiencing cyberbullying.
She says the rise of online technology, including social media and artificial intelligence, are escalating the harms youth face on a daily basis and have a significant impact on mental health.
Additionally, while 71 per cent of teachers report acting to prevent bullying, only 25 per cent of students feel supported by teachers at school, the report found.
"It's not to say that teachers don't care or (are) not trying, but it just really points to the fact that our kids are struggling in ways that we as adults haven't fully grasped," Austin said in an interview.
The report also notes increases in childhood poverty levels, with about 1.4 million Canadian children experiencing poverty by the end of 2024 — the highest level the country has seen since 2017.
Austin said there was "measurable progress" during the COVID-19 pandemic with funding to support low-income families, but she said children are now struggling again as these supports start to decrease.
"With the removal of those supports, we've seen kids sliding back into poverty again where their families are struggling to put a roof over their heads to put food on the table," she said.
Other threats to youth outlined in the report include childhood mistreatment, vaccine-preventable illnesses, racism and climate change.
Austin said the goal of issuing this report every year is to spark concrete action to better the lives of youth.
The advocacy group has called on the federal government to implement a national strategy to improve the lives of children and to appoint a commissioner who will hold Canada's leaders accountable, Austin said.
"Kids represent nearly a quarter of our population and 100 per cent of our future, but they do not receive an equal amount of funding or an equitable amount of funding when it comes to public health services, and that needs to change," she said.
At the household level, Austin said she also encourages parents to talk to their children about the challenges they're facing at school and online.
"Don't take the easy answer of, 'I'm OK,' or 'everything's fine.' Dig deeper, talk about the things that they're seeing and experiencing online. Talk about what's happening in their classrooms. Talk about their hopes and their fears," Austin said.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
