Childhood, Peer Relationships and Peer Violence

Abstract

The need to listen to children and young people’s voices has been recognised in a number of recent major policy developments and consultations by central and local government, affecting education, care services, youth justice, leisure and environmental services (Children and Young People’s Unit 2001). Specific departments and programmes have been set up addressing the needs of children and young people and the problems of social exclusion affecting the young (e.g. Children’s Fund 2001). Much of this activity has been linked to concerns about youth violence and involvement in social disorder, but there are also concerns about the safety and protection of children, in the community and when they enter public care, following a number of recent tragedies and scandals which revealed inadequacies in the services intended to protect and care for children (Laming 2003).