What makes a student feel safe at school?
It’s a question gaining urgency across the Greater Toronto Area, where issues like bullying, violence, social isolation, and mental health challenges are shaping how young people experience education. While school boards have invested in security cameras, guidance programs, and mental health initiatives, the data—and voices from students—suggest more is needed.
🚨 Safety Is About More Than Security
In recent years, incidents involving weapons, lockdowns, and youth violence have made headlines across GTA schools. But safety isn’t just about crisis moments—it’s about how safe students feel day to day, walking the halls, using washrooms, or riding the school bus.
A 2024 Ontario Student Survey found:
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1 in 3 high school students reported feeling unsafe in at least one area of their school
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40% of LGBTQ+ students said they experienced harassment or exclusion
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Reports of cyberbullying and social anxiety are rising, particularly in middle grades
These numbers point to a deeper issue: schools may be physically secure, but emotionally unsafe.
🧠 The Overlap Between Safety and Mental Health
Guidance counsellors and school psychologists say they’re seeing more students experiencing stress, anxiety, and depression linked directly to the school environment.
When students don’t feel safe, their learning suffers. They participate less, miss more school, and disengage from peers and teachers. For some, especially those from racialized or marginalized communities, school can feel like a place of surveillance—not support.
Mental health funding in schools is growing, but staffing shortages and uneven access persist.
👂 What Students Are Saying
Students across the GTA are asking to be heard. Some have called for:
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More trusted adults in schools they can talk to
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Greater attention to hallway and washroom supervision
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Anti-bullying programs that go beyond posters and assemblies
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Inclusive policies that reflect the diversity of their school communities
Safety, for many students, means knowing someone has their back—even on the hard days.
🔄 Reimagining Safe Schools
Experts and advocates say we need to move from reactive to proactive approaches. This means:
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Funding more social workers and mental health staff
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Creating school-wide cultures of respect and inclusion
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Collecting regular student feedback on safety and climate
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Addressing systemic inequities and disproportionate discipline
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Reducing reliance on policing models and surveillance
Safety and mental health are intertwined. When students feel supported, connected, and valued, schools become safer for everyone.
📘 The Learning Curve is GTA Weekly’s weekly look at education in the Greater Toronto Area—because every student’s journey deserves attention. Follow us @GTAWeeklyNews for more stories that shape our schools. #GTAWeekly #GTAToday #TheLearningCurve
👉 Join us next week as we kick off our June series focused on how summer programs—and the lack of them—are shaping learning gaps in the GTA.
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