Media violence: A cross-national comparison of Canadian and Swedish youth

Over the past two decades research has increasingly focused upon the relationship between youth media violence consumption and youth aggression. While some studies suggest that media consumption has no harmful effects, other studies suggest a causal relationship. Current policy debates reflect this academic argument. The present research addresses this debate through a comparative, cross-national examination of physical and non-physical aggression of youth in Canada, where there are no legislative restrictions on youth media violence consumption, and youth in Sweden, where media violence consumption is closely restricted by legislation. Rates of physical aggression were compared using the youth crime rates of assault, sexual assault, and murder/attempted murder. Rates of non-physical aggression were compared using youth crime rates of unlawful threat, as well as bullying, bullying victimization, and peer helpfulness rates. All physical and non-physical aggression indicators used (as listed above) were provided by Statistics Canada, the Swedish National Institute for C rime Prevention, and the World Health Organization. In all sixteen years examined (1991 -- 2006), and across all indicators, Canadian youth aggression and non-physical aggression rates were higher than those observed in Sweden. This research suggests a cross-national, comparative associational relationship between youth media violence consumption and youth physical and non-physical aggression.