This book examines perceptions of violent behaviour and compares public opinion with statistics and past events. How do the press and special interest groups shape public opinion and official concern about violence? Using the example of the unrest in 1930s Newfoundland, the book also provides a model for analysing the complex and shifting relationship between social and economic conditions, violence and popular protest, state policy and public anxiety. Leyton reviews the influence of the media; O'Grady looks at the role of official crime statistics; Overton discusses how assumptions about the past can distort the present.

Elliott Leyton is one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most distinguished authors and scholars. His books include The Myth of Delinquency, Hunting Humans, Men of Blood and Touched by Fire. He is professor emeritus at Memorial University Newfoundland, and holds research and faculty appointments in Ireland and England.

Elliott Leyton's profile page

William O'Grady's profile page

James Overton hold a degree in Historical Geography from the University of Western Ontario. He is Professor of Sociology at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

James Overton's profile page