Child Abuse Awareness - Sensibilisation à l’abus des enfants 81 TOP 10 THREATS TO CHILDHOOD IN CANADA October 16, 2024, Calgary, AB – The state of childhood in Canada has reached a breaking point. The seventh annual Raising Canada report, released today, finds that the top 10 threats to childhood are escalating, with children’s quality of life in Canada demonstrably worsening. The report includes an urgent call for policymakers to address and overcome these pressing issues. It also calls on community leaders to recognize the value of youth engagement as a critical element of creating and implementing solutions to complex social issues. The annual Raising Canada report is published by Children First Canada, based on research conducted by the University of Calgary and McGill University. Researchers compiled existing data and conducted interviews with youth, parents and other subject matter experts. It comes as Canada ranks 66th out of 194 countries on the global Kids Rights Index. Among the startling findings: • 28.4% of children under 18 live in food-insecure households, an increase • from 24.3% the previous year. • One in five kids (20%) in Canada have diagnosed mental health • challenges. • Two-thirds (60%) of Canadians reported experiencing maltreatment • (including physical and/or emotional abuse) before the age of 15. • Police reports of online sexual exploitation of children have nearly • tripled since 2014; Sextortion reports have increased by 150% since • June 2022 and online sexual luring reports have surged 815% over the • last five years. • Hospital stays for children under four have increased by 32% due to • respiratory illnesses. • Child homicide and filicide are significant threats to children’s survival, • with 40 child homicides reported in 2022. New Report Reveals Record Increases in Violence, Poverty, Mental Health Issues and Sexploitation Among Canada’s Kids
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