Early Learning Prevents Youth Violence

In this Canadian report, public opinion found that 60% of Canadians believe that the age group most likely to engage in physical aggression is adolescent boys between the ages of 12 and 17. Two percent said preschoolers. Those 2% were right. The preschool years, the report says, are the critical time to teach children the fundamentals of social interaction -- sharing and compromise, cooperation and verbal communication.  Those who fail to learn these lessons early in life, about 5-10% of Canadian children, are more likely to run into serious trouble later, including difficulty in school and substance abuse to risk-taking, mental illness and criminal activity.