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BC school students are less European, more gender diverse, experience increasing stress but turning to drugs, alcohol and sex less that those who came before them.

That’s shown in survey results of about 38,500 Grade 7-12 students who took a McCreary Centre Society survey last year. The same survey has been conducted every five years since the 1990s and this time included students from 59 of the 60 school districts in the province.

“The results continue to show us where we are seeing encouraging signs and making progress,” Annie Smith, the society’s executive director said in a news release. “But the results also show us where young people are struggling and where we can do better to support them.”

In terms of who these students are, the largest segment (43%) continues to be from European backgrounds but that’s down from 61% in 2003.

East Asian students were the second largest ethnic group at 17%. The report does not say how that changed over the past 20 years. South Asians grew to 13% of those surveyed from 5% in 2003.

The number of students born in Canada has been steadily dropping reaching 77% in 2023, down from 84% in 1992. Ten per cent of students were Indigenous and 8% Southeast Asian.

Only about one-quarter (24%) of students identified as Christian, 8% as Sikh and 4% as Buddhist while 48% said they did not identify with any religion.

In terms of sexual orientation, 88% of males and 68% of females said they were straight while only 2% of both genders said they were gay or lesbian. A much larger group, 4% of males and 13% of females said they were bisexual or pansexual.

There were 5% of children who identified as non-binary, meaning they either did not identify as male or female or were not sure of their gender identity. That was up from 2% five years ago.

Non-binary children were more likely to run away from home or be kicked out including 8% who had been homeless in the past year versus 2% of males and females.

They also reported much higher incidents of mental health issues like anxiety, depression and eating disorders.

Non-binary youth also experienced higher rates of verbal or physical sexual harassment and physical and digital dating abuse than their male and female schoolmates.

Overall, fewer students (5%) ran away from home in 2023, down from 9% a decade earlier. Another 4% had been kicked out, down from 6% in 2018.

While the majority of students (60%) said they had good or excellent mental health, that has been steadily declining from 81% in 2013. Similarly, only 59% felt hopeful for their future, down from 66% in 2018.

At the same time, 59% felt lonely at least some of the time and 6% always.

The percentage of students who experienced extreme stress in the previous 30 days rose to 13% from 9% in 2013.

The proportion of students who intentionally harmed themselves has increased to 24% from 15% in 2013, with starving themselves being the most prevalent activity at 17%, followed by over-exercising and exercising while injured at 11% and using alcohol or other substances at 10%.

While the percentage of youth who seriously thought about suicide climbed to 18% from 6% a decade ago, those who actually attempted suicide dropped to 5% from 6% in 2013.

Anxiety disorders were up to 22% from 18% in 2018, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, jumped to 18% from 7%, while depression dropped by 1% to 14%.

The rate of physical abuse climbed to 15% from 13% in 2013, but it is still down from the 19% reported in 1992.

In the previous 12 months, 40% had experienced verbal sexual harassment, down from 47% in 2008 but actual physical sexual harassment was experienced by 25% of students, up from 18% in 2013. Still, that’s down from 28% in 2003.

Of the 40% of students who were in dating relationships in the past year, 8% had experienced physical violence within the relationship, the highest rate in 20 years, and up from 6% in 2013.

There were 13% who reported digital dating abuse.

Just over one-quarter of students (26%) said they had been discriminated against at school and 13% online. Physical appearance was the biggest reason given for discrimination at 24% with weight coming in at 18%, race, ethnicity or skin colour at 15%, and gender and sex at 14%.

Only 19% of students say they got the recommended one hour of exercise per day but 44% did so at least five days per week while 12% did not get that hour in on any day.

There were 53% who said they participated in informal sports (without a coach), 49% in formal sports and 36% exercised at a gym or recreation centre.

On the dietary front, a whopping 86% ate fruit, vegetables or salads. While that’s the highest of the four food groups listed, it’s a drop from 94% in 2013 and not much higher than the 78% who eat candy.

The biggest change is in power drinks, up to 15% from 5% in 2013 and only 7% five years ago.

Students are having less sex (the survey did not include oral sex or masturbation), down to 16% from 30% in 1992. They who are having sex start at a later age, with 63% not starting until at least 15 years of age in 2023 versus 45% in 1992.

READ MORE: New book based on sex survey offers unprecedented look into Canadians' bedrooms

A small number of the students who vaped started vaping at the age of nine or less but 43% had not vaped in the 30 days before filling out the survey while 15% did so every day.

A larger percentage (9%) who smoked tobacco started when they were nine years old or younger but only 15% had tried smoking, compared to 60% in 1992.

Most drank alcohol in the previous 30 days but 40% had none and 47% only had some one to five times during the month. Only 1% drank every day. Liquor, at 68%, was the most popular drink followed by coolers at 53%.

Only 22% tried cannabis in 2023, down from 41% in 1998 and 14% had tried other substances.

READ MORE: 73% of pot purchases from legal sources in Canada: survey

Feeling safe at school declined to only 63% of students from a peak of 78% in 2013.

Almost everyone (97%) had phones or tablets and used them most frequently to scroll through social media.

More details from the survey will be released in the coming months.

Find more information about the survey here.

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