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Ontario’s Profile of Youth Wellbeing

The 2016 Profile of Youth Wellbeing includes 20 outcomes and 57 indicators selected to create a picture of how young people are doing in Ontario. The indicators in the profile include publicly reported population-level data and administrative data from government programs. Ontario-based data is used wherever available. Indicators reflect many different data sources and should not be directly compared with one another.

The profile helps tell the story of the government’s priorities for young people as it tracks progress in improving outcomes for youth. It is part of the ongoing commitment to better understand the needs and experiences of youth in our communities. Ontario is using the profile to inform policy and program design for youth that is grounded in evidence.

Incremental Changes

The 2016 Profile of Youth Wellbeing demonstrates continued incremental changes in outcomes for youth.

Thirty-four indicators in the 2016 profile were updated with new data from existing sources. Of these, 16 indicators showed small changes in the desired direction, 17 showed small changes against the desired direction, and one indicator did not change.

The profile is now in its fourth year, and trends are becoming increasingly clear for several indicators. For example:

• The high school graduation rate has climbed steadily from 82% in 2010–11 to 85.5% in 2014–15.
• The total youth violent crime rate has continued to drop from 1,507 per 100,000 youth in 2011 to 1,031 per 100,000 youth in 2015.
• The proportion of youth who are not in education, employment or training (NEET youth) remains relatively stable, at 9.5% in 2014 and 9.6% in 2015.
• The proportion of youth who feel lonely grew from 19.7% in 2010 to 24% in 2014.

Changes to the profile are expected, and small changes year over year may not be statistically significant. They are influenced by many factors and should be considered in the context of the individual data (e.g., source, sample size, type and time of data collection). A description of each indicator and data source is available in the Appendix.

What’s Changed in 2016

INDICATOR SUMMARY
Number of indicators updated: 34
Number of indicators unchanged: 23
TOTAL: 57

A Living Profile

Gaps continue to appear in tracking progress for youth; the indicators are only as good as the data available. This year, data was available in six of seven theme areas, and two indicators were removed because data sources were no longer available. That is why this profile is a living resource. Ontario continues to search for meaningful sources where existing data can be improved.

Youth Facing Barriers to Success

Ontario continues to look for data that will help us better understand and represent the experiences of youth facing challenges, and support improved outcomes for them across the province.

• Research shows that injuries are more likely to happen among new workers—of any age—in their first month on the job.¹ Studies also show that the risk for job-related injury is higher among young workers—defined as those aged 15 to 24—than it is among older employees.²
• Engagement in arts and culture, particularly for at-risk youth, is linked to improved social and problem-solving skills and higher academic achievement.³
• In 2016, Ontario expected to receive almost 18,000 resettled refugees from all sources, a figure four times higher than average annual arrivals over the 10-year period from 2005 to 2014.⁴

Ontario’s Profile of Youth Wellbeing, 2016

LEGEND
▼ Decrease since 2015 report
▲ Increase since 2015 report
− No change in data since 2015 report
● No new data since 2015 report

Note:
A blue arrow means that the indicator has changed in a positive direction.
A red arrow means that the indicator has changed in a negative direction.

Ontario youth are physically healthy.

• • 76.7% of youth are a healthy weight.
• • 68% of youth are physically active.
• • 41.3% of youth consume at least five servings of fruit or vegetables daily.
• ▼ 87.6% of youth are attached to a primary care provider.

Ontario youth feel mentally well.

• ▲ 5.6% of youth are experiencing anxiety and/or depression.
• ▲ 34% of youth are experiencing elevated psychological distress.
• ▼ 12.4% of youth had serious thoughts about suicide in the past year.

Ontario youth make choices that support healthy and safe development.

• ▲ 8.6% of youth smoke cigarettes.
• ▼ 17.6% of youth have recently consumed excessive alcohol.
• ▼ 29% of youth have used any illicit drug.
• • 2.6% of youth have had a sexually transmitted infection.

Ontario youth have families and guardians equipped to help them thrive.

• ▲ 6.3% of families live in deep poverty and are struggling to afford housing.
• • 10% of Ontario families experience food insecurity.
• ▲ 14% of children and youth live in low-income households.

Ontario youth have at least one consistent, caring adult in their lives.

• ▼ 91.5% of youth have at least one parent who usually knows where they are.

Ontario youth form and maintain healthy, close relationships.

• • 24% of youth feel lonely.
• • 74.7% of youth can count on their friends when things go wrong.
• • 65.4% of youth get the emotional support they need from their families.

Ontario youth achieve academic success.

• • English-speaking students enrolled in academic math meet the provincial standard.
• ▼ 82% of French-speaking students enrolled in academic math meet the provincial standard.
• • English-speaking students enrolled in applied math meet the provincial standard.
• ▼ 49% French-speaking students enrolled in applied math meet the provincial standard.
• − 78% of English-speaking and 88% of French-speaking students completed 16 high school credits by the end of Grade 10.
• ▲ 85.5% of high school students graduate within five years.
• ▼ Ontario ranks 11 of 72 jurisdictions in overall mathematics achievement (PISA).

Ontario youth have educational experiences that respond to their needs and prepare them to lead.

• ▲ 14% of students are enrolled in the Specialist High Skills Major program.
• ▲ 319,204 students have Individual Education Plans.
• ▲ 36.8% of public district and 36.8% of Catholic district high school course credits are available through e-learning.

Ontario youth access diverse training and apprenticeship opportunities.

• ▲ 12.5% of youth have a postsecondary certificate or diploma.
• ▲ 21,924 youth were served through the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program.

Ontario youth have opportunities for meaningful employment experiences.

• ▼ 11.6% of students are enrolled in co-op placements.
• ▼ 61.1% of youth are in the labour force.
• ▲ 9.6% of youth are not in education, employment or training.
• ▲ 89.1% of youth who are employed full-time are in work related to their field.

Ontario youth have the skills and resources needed to develop a successful career or business.

• ▼ 1.5% of youth are self-employed.

Ontario youth are safe and supported at work.

• ▲ The annual Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Lost-Time Injury (LTI) rate for youth employees was 0.94 per 100 workers in 2015.

Ontario youth experience social inclusion and value diversity.

• • 78.7% of youth feel a sense of belonging in their community.
• • 87.8% of students have positive attitudes toward diversity at school.

Ontario youth feel safe at home, at school, online and in their communities.

• • 77.3% of youth have a happy home life.
• ▼ 95% of youth feel safe at school.
• ▲ 19.8% of youth have been bullied online.
• ▲ 98.6% of Ontarians felt “safe” or “very safe” in their communities.

Ontario youth respect, and are respected by, the law and justice system.

• ▼ 5.2% of youth participate in antisocial behaviour.
• ▼ Ontario’s total youth crime rate is 3,175 per 100,000 youth.
• ▼ Ontario’s total youth violent crime rate is 1,031 per 100,000 youth.
• ▲ 59.3% of youth believe officers in their local police force do a good job at treating people fairly.

Ontario youth play a role in informing the decisions that affect them.

• ▲ 56.2% of youth voted in the last (2015) federal election.
• • 10.6% of youth volunteer as a member of a board or committee.

Ontario youth are engaged in their communities.

• • The youth donor rate in Ontario is 65%.
• • The youth volunteer rate in Ontario is 69.3%.

Ontario youth leverage their assets to address social issues.

• • 16.7% of youth volunteered to support a group or organization.
• • 10.4% of youth volunteered in activities to protect the environment.
• • 3.3% of youth participated in activities to support a political party or group.

Ontario youth have access to safe spaces that provide quality opportunities for play and recreation.

• • 62% of parents feel recreation opportunities in their community meet their child’s needs.
• • 75.7% of youth feel there are good places in their community to spend their free time.

Ontario youth know about and easily navigate resources in their communities.

• • 78% of students use social media to find information about news, health issues, or relationships.
• • 10% of callers to 211 looking for community referrals are young people.