Asian homestay students attending high school in British Columbia are more likely than Canadian peers to smoke, use drugs and engage in early sex, according to a University of B.C. study released yesterday.
The survey found that 23 per cent of homestay girls were sexually abused — compared to nine per cent of immigrant or Canadian-born girls — and were twice as likely to be sexually active.
Elizabeth Saewyc, study co-author, said there’s a need for greater oversight.
“We have systems in place for licensing day care providers and foster parents,” she said.
“Shouldn’t we also have systems for protecting foreign teens?”
