ABSTRACT
‘Childhood’ as a distinct period of human development is a relatively recent construct. Developmental theories identify discrete ‘stages’ in the transition from birth to adulthood, the assumption being that the latter represents the ‘completed’ human condition. Contemporary Northern Ireland is a society in transition. Between the late 1960s and the mid1990s ceasefires it endured three decades of armed, political conflict regarding its constitutional status. Transgenerational trauma, evident in educational underachievement and mental ill-health, remains a reality for many children of parents and grandparents whose childhoods were blighted by war. The Beijing and Tokyo Rules emphasize that prosecuted children should receive a fair trial in which proceedings recognize their best interests and enable participation. Implementation of policy and practice grounded in the principles of social justice and inclusion necessitates provision, throughout childhood, of universal services and additional support by mainstream health, social care, education, youth and community services.
