We have books out here too, and scientific papers also. We also have our own bears, about 16000 of them, 0.5 per square mile, about the same bear population density as BC, perhaps a little higher, and no human fatalities due to non-vehicular bear encounters in our recorded history, zero, not one, and it's been a somewhat longer recorded history here in the east than out your way.

Even if our bears are so similar genetically, they might be very different demographically, because of hunting, and also different behaviourally because the land and habitat is so very different here. There are many plausible scientific theories and explanations for the difference in bear behaviour from one part of the continent to the other, but also alot of complexity in nature and never enough data for absolute certainty. Consider how much human behaviour varies from one part of the continent to another even though we are essentially all the same. I think people should attempt to study bears more scientifically and objectively, and localize their research and decisions. We should also take a more cautious and conservative view, real conservatism that is, which is to respectfully try to learn some time tested behaviour from our old-timers, like kutenay, not all from current vested interests which might be more skewed towards selling guns or books or bear spray.

That said, smaller children are always more vulnerable.
In the very least it never hurts to keep'em close and carry a big stick.
I am not sure if bear spray is neccessary in Florida, but I don't think it is here.