Ontario Boosting Efforts to Combat Bullying and Support Student Mental Health

The Ontario government is marking Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week by investing $4.6 million to help combat bullying in schools and expand initiatives to equip students with the social and emotional skills they need to thrive. This funding will help foster stronger connections among students, promote a safe, respectful and inclusive school environment, and help reduce incidents of violence in schools across the province.

“As a mother, I understand firsthand how heartbreaking it is to hear about your child facing bullying or having a difficult day at school,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Education. “Our investment in anti-bullying and mental health initiatives is a testament to our commitment to nurturing our students and making our schools places of respect and care. Through these efforts, we are fostering an environment where every child has the support they need to promote their mental health and reach their full potential without fear or hesitation.”

To advance the government’s efforts to improve student mental health and well-being, the funding is supporting the following community partners:

• $1.485 million to Big Brothers and Big Sisters to provide a school-focused mentorship program for students in Grades 1 to 12, with the goal of increasing school connectedness and improving social-emotional skills, mental health and educational outcomes
• $1 million to Roots of Empathy to offer classroom programs aimed at reducing aggression and enhancing social-emotional competence in children aged 5-13, to build skills that support student success, mental health and well-being
• $800,000 to Kids Help Phone to provide prevention counselling and offer high-quality professional resources and crisis response
• $436,500 to Egale Canada to support educators in facilitating learning opportunities to address cyberbullying, with particular emphasis on supporting students who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+
• $250,000 to Child Development Institute to improve students’ emotion regulation, self-control, and problem-solving skills through the SNAP (Stop Now And Plan) program
• $245,000 to Principal Association Projects to develop resources for parents and provide professional development opportunities for principals and vice-principals on responding to cyberbullying
• $150,000 to Victim Services Toronto to increase youth safety, and in particular young women, within the context of online dating, healthy relationships, healthy masculinity and peer pressure
• $100,000 to pflag Canada to improve the mental health and relationships of 2SLGBTQIA+ students and their parents by providing culturally responsive community supports
• $78,000 to Victim Services Durham Region to host a Youth Symposium that educates students in Grades 7 to 9+ and educators on youth safety and violence prevention
• $65,000 to George Hull Centre for Children and Families to deliver culturally relevant socio-emotional learning initiatives designed to help students enhance self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making

Ontario’s investments address the critical need to support students through personal and academic challenges, help them build meaningful connections and achieve success. Support to address bullying and cyberbullying will advance broader efforts to improve student safety and prevent violence in schools, fostering a safe and respectful environment.

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