Why does Canada have a lower per capita violent crime rate than the U.S.?

Question

I'm looking for intelligent answers only. And please, unless you have evidence to the contrary, don't cite stricter gun control laws. Many cities and states in the U.S. with the strictest gun control laws(D.C.) also have the highest violent crime rates and many cities and states with the most lenient gun control laws(Texas) have some of the lowest per capita violent crime rates.

Buzzkill, per capita means per person, which negates the fact that there are more people in the U.S.

daff73, i agree that the Canadian population is more spread out, but that does not account for the lower crime rates in the more heavily populated Canadian cities when compared to similar U.S. cities. Also, I am not seeing the link between treating minorities unfairly and crime.
P.S. European countries are for the most part much more racist with a great deal less diversity then the U.S.

Answer 1

Being a Canadian, but now living in the States I have observed many different cultural differences between our two countries that contribute to this phenomenon. Canadian people in general are more laid back, culturally accepting, and less people in wide open spaces. Thinks about it, there are only about 30 million plus total in all of Canada (the biggest country land wise in the world - other than Russia). There are 30 million people in California alone. I think once you get more people in an area the chances are greater for more crimes to occur. Another point is that Canadian people do more world travelling and are more knowledgable about other countries and culture, therefore making them more accepting of new cultures as they enter Canada. Americans typically don't travel as much outside their own country (some do, most don't), therefore they do not have this respect and acknowledgement that other countries are just as beautiful and have much to offer. With that ignorance, any minorities within the U.S. are treated poorly simply because people are not as willing to explore the culture they're from.

Answer 2

There are several factors. Social, economic, and demographics. There are also cultural influences, (nothing to do with "world traveling").
Poor and lower class rungs on the social ladder commit the majority of crimes. Race plays a part. It is a culturally accepted practice in some communities to be a criminal... in some cases encouraged.
There is an absolute correlation between population density and crime rates. The more dense a community is, the more likely a problem with crime will be present as well. Tie this in with the community's economic structure, and there is a breeding ground for crime.
Canada lacks the major cities' problems that we have in the US. There are more foreigners and immigrants in some cities than there are Americans. Of course with immigration comes a lot of lower rungs on the ladder--trying to make a way of life here.
If you compare the rural states to that of Canada I'm sure you will find comparable statistics on crime. Rural states like Maine, Vermont, Montana, etc... have low crime rates. Even though there may be economic crises there--they lack the population density that exists in the bigger cities.

Answer 3

The main statistic that you want to be observing is how many people are living below the poverty line. Unfortunately poverty is directly proportional to crime as desperation forces people to do anything to survive.

Canada has better social safety nets in place, with socialized health care, a comprehensive welfare program and slightly higher standards of education, they are better equipped to take care of some of their more desperate citizens.

When you truly examine the issue it all comes down to poverty. The criminal justice system is far more laxed in Canada with no Three strikes laws, Capital punishment, and there is the youth offenders act which acts to protect the interest of youth offenders and work towards rehabilitation rather than punishment.. Gun laws are comparable. Canada may have a unilateral registration policy, however some of the more notorious states and cities do as well.


It all comes down to poverty and what one feels they need to do to survive.

Answer 4

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there are various relationship truths to support less per capita crime in canada than in u.s. (although i would not much trust any statistics you hear publicly...which will look to some crimes and over-look others)....however i would agree that your supposition or cite is accurate. that per capita...canada has much less violent crimes than in u.s.

and simple probabilities with attitude is the common denominator.

first ..... attitude of a general population as daff cites. canadians are much less gun-happy to solve their issues ...

(((gun control is a good idea and i would love to see them eradicated)))

second ..... guns are far more common in the u.s. and this is due to media and commerce. which have combined to make assault weapons very popular ... and widespread among all age demographics......shame on you americans for being so careless re: the impressionable.....

third ..... your educational system must be atrocious....terrible. to allow nitwits of the assault weapons commercial industries to dominate the conscious faculties of media and reality.

and yes.....your own military is partially responsible....the attitude (attitude is everything...everything in initiation) which was created by big money in killing/protection with (in)auspicious causes such as freedom...such as democracy.

american propogandas which manipulated these (democracy and freedom) were not expert freedomists and listened very little to wisdom of philosophy or good law.

violence is way up in the u.s. because your people do not (en masse) respect its' freedoms or the off-spring to same.

guns became your solution (and the assault weapons industry did not complain to my knowledge) to near everything...

but....now....you almost do not know how to spell the word 'assault' but carry a big big chip on your shoulder.

now....your children are ill with need for solutions which your militarists will need to discover or else your militarists will have to eat the children which have become ill by them.

not a pleasant picture....not a pleasant picture what-so-ever.

solutions will have to begin with freedom to respond without violence....then your children will learn this example and be up-lifted.

your education system should be evacuated.

personally...i would not send my children to a school which has police officers at the front door holding guns.

and i would throw out of office any man or woman which put them there and the guns.

you are in a nation in deep turmoil as is evidenced by the non-safety of your children.

and yet....you continue to over-look your own social malaises to be seen as freedom fighters in other territories which will catch your disease.

good luck but keep your assault weapons out of canada...they are not welcome here and we will be getting them off of the streets.

be well

Answer 5

Because they have less people than the states....................Duh alot less. the higher the population the more crime.