Overview

Abstract (English)

In this paper, comparable surveys from 1994 to 2008 are used to show that two geographically and culturally connected nations, Canada and the United States (US), have starkly contrasting violence rates among children and youth and that this cross-country violence gap has emerged among those as young as 2 years old for hitting, 4 years old for bullying, and 12 years old for fighting. Such early life differences remain important as children grow up. The US-Canada violence gaps do not appear to reduce as personal and family characteristics are adjusted for, for example, race, family structure, poverty, and region. Policies in areas most relevant for childhood development, including maternity or parental leave, health care, and child care, are compared across the two countries to identify potential areas where more attention may be paid to improve children’s outcomes.

Abstract (French)

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