ABSTRACT
Children's drive to explore, discover and interact socially begins to call for a larger world quite early in life, and ideally they are able to expand their range into the local neighbourhood. Ideally, the move from home into the neighbourhood is gradual and seamless for children, both in terms of scale and independence. The violence in these neighbourhoods can take many forms, and can cover the full spectrum, from everyday tensions between neighbours to a pervasive climate of lawlessness and violence that leads people to fear for their very lives. This chapter considers neighbourhood violence less in terms of its genesis or agenda and more in terms of the impact that it has on the lives of children and their families. The need to accommodate to some level of danger and insecurity is a routine part of the lives of many children and adolescents, and it is felt by their younger siblings as well.
