Violence between children is a controversial and frequently misunderstood issue, one that has seen media-fuelled moral panic come to dominate public perceptions and debate. Children Behaving Badly? presents a powerful challenge to commonly held beliefs about peer violence and portrays it as an important child welfare concern.

List of Contributors. Acknowledgements. 1 Introduction ( Christine Barter and David Berridge ). Part I Peer Violence in Different Contexts. 2 Understanding Dimensions of 'Peer Violence' in Preschool Settings: An Exploration of Key Issues and Questions ( Jane Brown ). 3 Understanding Why Children and Young People Engage in Bullying at School ( Helen Cowie ). 4 Sibling Abuse and Bullying in Childhood and Adolescence: Knowns and Unknowns ( Paul B. Naylor, Laurie Petch and Jenna V. Williams ). 5 Young People, Gangs and Street-based Violence ( Tara Young and Simon Hallsworth ). 6 Peer Violence in Provision for Children in Care ( Andrew Kendrick ). Part II Different Forms of Peer Violence. 7 Young Men, Violence and Racism ( Les Back ). 8 A Thoroughly Gendered Affair: Teenage Partner Violence and Exploitation ( Christine Barter ). 9 Children and Young People with Harmful Sexual Behaviours ( Simon Hackett ). 10 Homophobia and Peer Violence ( Ian Rivers ). Part III Understanding Peer Violence. 11 Impact of Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence ( Veronica M. Herrera and Jeffrey Stuewig ). 12 Media Representations of Youth Violence ( Sharon L. Nichols ). 13 Boys, Girls and Performing Normative Violence in Schools: A Gendered Critique of Bully Discourses ( Jessica Ringrose and Emma Renold ). Part IV Responding to Peer Violence. 14 Bullets, Blades and Mean Streets: Youth Violence and Criminal Justice Failure ( Peter Squires and Carlie Goldsmith ). 15 Delivering Preventive Programmes in Schools: Identifying Gender Issues ( Nicky Stanley, Jane Ellis and Jo Bell ). 16 Conclusion ( David Berridge and Christine Barter ). Index.