Young Canadians deserve to feel safe - both in their communities and online. While youth typically have positive experience on the internet, cyberbullying remains a harsh reality. Some three in ten young people report that they have been cyberbullied, with girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ youth disproportionately affected. The impact cyberbullying can be significant and far reaching, which is why the Government of Canada is taking important steps to keep young Canadians safe online.
The Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, today announced new federal support to fight cyberbullying and keep young people in Prince Edward Island safe online. Through the Crime Prevention Action Fund (CPAF), Public Safety Canada is investing $634,900 of federal funding over five years in the Cyberbullying Trauma-Informed Intervention Project.
This funding will help Community Legal Information PEI deliver cyberbullying education, training and interventions, in collaboration with community partners and the Government of PEI. The project will be delivered in junior high schools and community centres across the Island. It will focus on vulnerable and underserved groups including Indigenous youth, 2SLGBTQI+ youth and youth with intellectual disabilities.
Supporting evidence-based initiatives to stop crime before it starts, the Crime Prevention Action Fund is a central part of the National Crime Prevention Strategy. It funds programs that engage young people who may be at risk of falling into criminal behaviour, and helps set them up for success in life.
