A children’s advocate says young people aren’t seen as equal to adults and aren’t valued in the same way in that setting. Children First in Canada found the number one threat to children is unintentional and preventable injury such as falls, sports injuries and transport injuries, with a 28% increase in children attending ERs. The top 10 threats include:
- Systemic racism and discrimination: Indigenous children are over 12 times more likely to be taken out of their homes and placed in foster care than non-Indigenous children;
- Unintentional and preventable Injuries;
- Poor mental health: Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 15-24 and third for children ages 10-14;
- Child abuse: Approximately one in three Canadians report experiencing some form of child abuse by the age of 15, a statistic that’s higher among Indigenous populations (40%).
- Infant mortality: Canada has the second highest infant mortality rate (4 per 1000 births) among OECD countries, though provinces aren’t capturing enough data on this issue; and
- Bullying: Approximately 1 in 3 Canadian youth report being bullied, with prevalence being relatively consistent over the past 12 years.
Also included in the top 10 are vaccine-preventable illnesses (including COVID-19), poverty and nutritional insecurity, limited physical activity and play and climate change. Disruption to education, inadequate youth representation and limited access to healthcare and other social services were also themes in the report.
Also:
Canada: les changements climatiques nuisent aux enfants, dit un rapport - La Presse Canadienne