Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Rationale/Background: Youth violence is an important public health concern. Growing rates of youth violence suggest a need for greater understanding of their causes. Theory proposes that the health of youth populations results from both individual behaviours and environmental influences. The built environment is one possible influence that is worthy of study. It may affect violent behaviours in this age group. Objective: To examine the effects of the physical surroundings on youth violence in Canada. Methods: This study will be based on Canadian records of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Survey. In 2009/2010, the HBSC was administered in 500 schools to 20 000 students from grades 6-10. Measures of physical fighting and weapon carrying will be used to profile violent behaviours. Geographical Information Systems will be used to link this data to factors in the physical surroundings of students' schools and neighbourhoods. Implications: This study is important as it will further understand youth violence in Canada and the role of physical surroundings on the health of youth. This will inform the prevention and intervention programs, and perhaps the next generation of violence control strategies.