Our Messages

The youth who created this video address the fact that injury is the leading cause of ill health for Canada's young people. This video shares a personal story and gives a message of hope. The group wanted other young people experiencing injury to stay positive and pursue a full life.

This video looks specifically at the prevalence of cyber bullying and encourages everyone to take responsibility for preventing online bullying.

This video looks at the influence the media has on young people’s self-perception. The youth who created this video were discouraged to learn that 1/3 of young people who are of healthy weight, feel that they are overweight or too skinny. Having a poor body image is related to low self-esteem and emotional problems.

This video addresses the influence peers can have on risky behaviours. Many Canadian students report having friends who engage in activities like drinking, using drugs and having sex. Having friends who engage in risky activities is shown to increase emotional and behavioral problems.

According to the HBSC report, more young people are reporting being bullied than in 2006 when the previous survey was conducted. The young people who created this video recognize that bullying is a major issue for Canadian youth and want to remind viewers of the long-term impact bullying can have.

This short clip explores gender norms, sexuality and school environments. It asks the viewer to reflect on how it would feel to be transgendered in a heteronormative environment.

This video addresses youth depression and suicide and recognizes the importance of a supportive environment. The young people wanted youth to know that it’s not uncommon to feel depressed and that there are supports for those experiencing suicidal thoughts.

This video examines bullying and the importance of supportive environments in young people’s positive mental health. The youth who made this video felt that cultural traditions and games were significant to a supportive environment. The hand games shown here are an important tradition to many youth from Canada’s northern Aboriginal communities.

This video emphasizes the positive and negative influence peers can have on risk taking and the consequences of substance abuse. It also highlights that although substance use is a significant issue among young people, the majority of youth grades 9-10 are not smoking cannabis regularly.

This is a short clip taken from Influence. This video emphasizes the consequences of substance abuse. It also highlights that although substance use is a significant issue among young people, the majority of youth grades 9-10 are not smoking cannabis regularly.

Recognizing that supportive relationships and environments are key to young people’s wellbeing, this video addresses the need for youth centres and youth programming.

This video share’s one young woman’s personal story about coping with substance abuse in her family.

This video share’s one young woman's personal story about overcoming substance abuse and creating a positive life for herself.

This video share’s one young man’s personal story about dealing with his friend’s overdose and creating positive change in his community.

Those victimized by bullying, experience more emotional problems, which can lead to drinking, drugs and becoming a bully themselves. This video addresses the impact of bullying, peer influence, and the shared responsibility to stand up to bullies.

This video was created by a group of youth researching and discussing self-esteem at the 2012 Unite and Ignite Conference. This video encourages the viewer to see their positive attributes and not to let other's thoughts impact their self-image.

This video addresses the amount of time young people spend “on screen,” and the impact the media can have on social behavior. This video uses music and dance to show how many different forms of bullying are represented in the media. It also emphasizes the importance of critically engaging with the media.

Music performed by Avril Lavigne, Nicki Minaj and Kreesha Turner

This video addresses body image, healthy weights, and media influence. According to the HBSC study 1/3 of young people who are of healthy weight, feel that they are overweight or too skinny. The young people that created this video felt that this was largely due to how the media portrayed what was considered fat and what was considered fit.

This video describes young people reporting high levels of emotional wellbeing between grades 6 and 10. It asks the viewer to reflect on why there are fewer grade 10 students who report high levels of emotional wellbeing than grade 6 students.