An historical analysis of violence on Canada's western frontier is followed by chapters on various categories of contemporary violence. Chapters address violence by and against aboriginal peoples, women, children, and the elderly; in labor- capital disputes; homicide; police and prison violence; terrorism; and government responses. Each chapter focuses on the sociological and political dimensions of violence. Overall, this book challenges the perception that Canada is a "peaceable kingdom." It documents that Canadians both commit and experience a considerable amount of violence. The discussions of the government's response to violence consider the effects that some of this violence has had on Canadian legal, social, and political structures due to interventions by various levels of government. In place of analyzing the data as static events, the contributors emphasize the dynamic bases of conflict that lead to violence. Overall, Canada's experience of violence covers the whole gamut of styles of individual, group, and institutional action that ranges from individual to collective violence, from vigilantism, to violent strikes, to open rebellion. The contributions to the book are original, use empirical methodology, and in some cases quantitative and/or qualitative methods of analysis. For individual chapters, see NCJ-171563-72. 46 tables, 6 figures, chapter references, and a subject index