Getting to the Source

Can we uproot the causes of violence?

Post date: April 17, 2006

Article reproduced from FSA Magazine Catalyst: Ideas for Change, Fall/Winter 2005 issue

Governor General Michaëlle Jean wants Ontario to get to the roots of crime.
Addressing the provincial legislature on her first official visit to Toronto this February, Canada’s Ms. Jean asserted that we must fight crime by facing our society’s shortcomings and getting to the roots of the issue. Her words echo similar comments from local politicians, community leaders and others affected by violence in the wake of a year that saw 52 gun-related homicides in the city. “We need to address the root causes of violence,” has become a rallying cry in communities across the city.

But what are these root causes?

Opinions and perceptions vary. A January 2006 Ipsos-Reid poll found that Canadians believe three main conditions cause gun violence in Canada’s cities: gangs, drugs/drug trafficking, and judges who are too lenient with criminals convicted of gun crimes. Put the question to others more deeply engaged in violence issues and the answers change dramatically to conditions such as poverty, family dysfunction, substance abuse, poor conflict management skills, violence in media and lack of paternal involvement, among others.

These issues, however, rarely exist in isolation. And no one factor has been invariably linked to violent behaviour. For example, there is no question that poverty is a contributing factor to violence, yet millions of Canadians who live in poverty do not commit violent crimes. This builds a strong case for the conclusion that violent behaviour is less often the result of a single factor, but more likely the product of a variety of pressures.

Stepping back to look at the various conditions that have been linked to violent behaviour—not just gun violence—three overarching “umbrella” contributors emerge: economic factors; social environment and family structures.

The Gap Between Rich and Poor

Although poverty does not directly cause crimes, it often serves as a catalyst for criminal activity and violent behaviour. The primary effects of poverty, such as lower physical and mental health, lower academic achievement, parenting difficulties, reduced employment opportunities and stress can combine to influence a person toward criminal activities or acts of violence. Studies have shown that when such poverty-related risk factors are reduced among young children there is a corresponding decrease crime.

According to a new report by Campaign 2000, a cross-country coalition housed at Family Service Association of Toronto that builds awareness and support for the eradication of child poverty in Canada, 443,000 [or you could say almost half a million] children in Ontario are living in poverty. Despite strong economic growth, one in every six children lives below the Low Income Cut Off in Ontario. [Joanne: the numbers are 1 in 6 in Canada, 1 in 6 in Ontario, and 1 in 3 in Toronto]

“The fact that 15 per cent of our youngest citizens are growing up in poverty does not bode well for Canada’s future,” says Jaquie Maund, Coordinator of Ontario Campaign 2000. “Canada can do better. We have significantly reduced poverty among seniors and we need to do the same for children and families.”

“Canada ranks a poor 19 th out of 26 industrialized countries in terms of our child poverty rate. We know from those countries who have reduced their child poverty rates to less than 5% the type of government and labour market policies that are needed to make a difference. What we need to see from our government leaders is the political commitment to tackle our child & family poverty problem with an Action Plan for Children”

In Toronto, the situation is worse worse. One in three children live in poverty and economic disparity across the city is on the rise. According to the Toronto Community Foundation, the median income for families with children in Toronto’s 12 poorest neighbourhoods increased by just 3.6% between 1998 and 2002 to $33,750, while for the city’s 12 wealthiest neighbourhoods incomes rose by more than twice as much to $156,100.

In addition to the financial and personal struggles faced by people living in poverty, a growing income divide fosters significant prejudice against the poor. Although more than one-third of households that used Toronto food banks in 2004 had at least one working adult, a survey in Toronto and Edmonton revealed that a one-quarter of respondents still believed that laziness was a reason for poverty. Such prejudices and gaps in understanding the complexities of poverty contribute to despair and anger, setting the stage for the next root cause of violence.

Social Environment

More than a decade ago, Stephen Lewis identified vulnerability, disadvantage and despair as root causes for violence. There is no doubt that such social conditions contribute to the risk of violence and as the income and opportunity divide between poor and wealthy widens, those occupying the weaker position on the scale are hardest hit by social risk factors.

Ill health, inaccessibility to services, low value placed on individuals and communities, lack of a social network and poor supervision of children are all social risk factors that contribute to violence and increase a person’s likelihood of being exposed to violence. They are also often by-products of poverty and, not surprisingly, research into victimization shows that the proportion of poor people experiencing violence and threats is significantly greater than the proportion of wealthy victims. And like the income gap, the difference between the two groups is widening.

Social risk factors, such as isolation or lack of access to neighbourhood facilities, also increase the likelihood that a child will be exposed to public services like Children’s Aid, the corrections system or mental health services. The years from birth to age six are the most critical for healthy social and emotional development. “We have both researched and seen from experience that our early childhood programs are a critical source of support for parents and stimulation for kids,” says Liyu Guo, coordinator of Growing Up Healthy Downtown at FSA Toronto, which offers free programming for families with young children. “The families strongly feel that they benefit from the connection with other families, the advice of others and the formal programming.”

Affordable children’s programs are scarce, however, as are regulated child care spaces. For low-income young families—which have increased by more than 50 per cent in the past 20 years—even if they are able to find space, the cost of child care is too expensive, making adequate supervision of a child a luxury they cannot afford.

Family Structures

In general, our families are our primary social contact and providers of behavioural, relationship and moral guideposts. Exposure to dysfunction, neglect, violence, lack of respect and poor role modeling within a family can have a strong influence on the development of violent behaviour. Many persistent offenders begin their involvement in anti-social behaviour before and during adolescence, when they are still living at home.

According to the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Council, there is a direct link between the abuse of women or children in the home and future delinquent behaviour. More than half of violent young offenders witnessed wife assault in the home. Children who are physically abused are five times more likely to be violent adults, a ratio that increases to eight times for childhood victims of sexual abuse.

Children of single-parent-led families also face additional risks, particularly those from low-income families. Supervision, among other parental duties, can be challenging when there is only one head of household. As the majority of single parents are mothers and the majority of teachers female, many young boys lack positive male influences. In an area where neighbourhood supports are limited or non-existent and supervision is scarce, these boys may seek male role models in peers who are engaged in criminal activity.

Investing in Change

It is clear that the root causes of crime are not isolated issues, but a complex mixture of interrelated conditions that grow from and amplify one another. It is also clear that a concerted effort that draws on the expertise and resources of governments, the community and private sectors must be made to balance the iniquities in our society in order for any anti-violence strategy to work.

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