Childhood and Adolescence

This comprehensive reference analyzes psychological and anthropological studies concerning child and adolescent development across cultures, digging into often-forgotten topics like street children, child soldiers, and parenting in war-torn countries. Traditionally, research on child and adolescent development has focused on American youth, inadvertently neglecting 96 percent of the world's children. This all-encompassing volume introduces global perspectives on young people across the globe, focusing on such topics as parenting and childcare, gender roles, violence against girls, adolescence in poor and rich countries, and developmental psychopathology across cultures. Recently updated, the second edition includes the latest findings in the field, additional content, and new photos and charts. With contributions from leading psychological and anthropological scholars, chapters address worldwide changes in children's lives, parent-child relationships, sibling relationships, immigrant children and their families, and adolescents in both industrialized and developing nations. A special section discusses children living in difficult circumstances, including street children, child soldiers, global nomads, and children suffering from various internalizing and externalizing disorders. This book is the perfect introduction to the latest trends in developmental psychology.