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The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have provided the following Fast Facts update for the month of May. This information is for parents, educators and those that work with youth.
National Youth Services
- Online Safety Seminar – NYS is inviting Grades 6-8 classrooms to participate in a 90-minute online safety seminar presented in English, delivered by The White Hatter on Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 11:30 AM EST. To register, please contact us.
- National Youth Services is always working on new resources, and our Bike Safety Activity Book is now available! This activity book incorporates games, colouring pages, and important cyclist safety information. Request copies here.
In The News
- Cybertip.ca is urging parents to be aware of the metaverse and the emerging risks that may come along with youth being online.
Virtual Educational Resources
- Canada’s History is offering an Honesty: Taking Action lesson. In it, students will assess the outcomes of action and design a personal plan for reconciliation in their communities.
- The Rick Hansen Foundation is offering a Making a Difference for our Community lesson. In it, students can identify one way they can create an action plan for making a difference in their community.
- Educational Resources on Cannabis, Vaping, and Substance Abuse:
- The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) studied how gender differences in cannabis perceptions and behaviours contribute to the risks for harms of cannabis use among youth.
- Amanda L. Giordano Ph.D., LPC, discovered new findings on risks associated with adolescent vaping, including nicotine addiction, increased risk of conventional smoking, and lung injury.
- A new report highlights the serious impact from COVID-19 on mental health and substance use, especially among youth. CCSA has created an infographic to illustrate these findings.
- The Canadian Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (CCENDU) summarizes the risks and harms associated with nonmedical benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine-like substances that are increasingly being identified in drugs on the unregulated market.
- Health Canada has released its annual Canadian Cannabis Survey, using data collected between April and June 2021.
Training
- Canadian Centre for Child Protection
- Commit to Kids: An Introduction to Safeguarding Children from Sexual Abuse
- Commit to Kids is a virtual training for personnel working with children, and covers the basics of grooming, sexual abuse, personnel’s role in helping prevent it, and policies and procedures in creating safe environments.
- Expert Video Series is a specialized series for police and other personnel working specifically with youth who have experienced sexual abuse or online exploitation.
- Safer Schools Together hosts various training courses throughout May (Training dates range from May 10 – May 26). This training includes the following topics:
- Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first aid. This training can be found across the country on various platforms, including the Centre for Suicide Prevention.
Support Services
- Kids Help Phone – 1-800-668-6868
- Indigenous Help – 1-855-554-4325
- Text – 686868
- Black Youth Helpline – 1-833-294-8650
- Hope For Wellness Line – 1-855-242-3310 or use their chat function
- Canadian Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line – 1-866-925-4419
- Trans Lifeline – 1-877-330-6366
- Sexual Assault Txt Line – Text HOME to 741741
