The central question posed in this book is whether or not Newfoundland is becoming more violent. Three different papers examine various dimensions of crime and violence in the province from an historical perspective, illustrating how public perceptions of crime are formed. The first paper, by William O'Grady, discusses how violence is defined and measured. Based on examination of how official statistics are compiled and used, he assesses their ability to accurately record the incidence of violence. The next paper, by Elliott Leyton, investigates the role played by the press and by various interest groups in the period since the mid-1970s, in shaping and sustaining the idea that Newfoundland is in the midst of a wave of crime and violence. Overton's paper is an historical case study which examines the complex relationships between violence, questions of popular protest, public order, and economic and political conditions in Newfoundland in the 1930s.