A modest proposal for a new specialty: Children's community psychology

Abstract

A children's community psychology is proposed. A children's community psychology would provide a new way to conceptualize children's issues to complement and counter more traditional views of children as individuals without a social context. It would explore the interaction between children and communities, looking at children as experienced by communities, and communities as experienced by children. More specifically, it would examine children's unique environments, the effect of larger environments upon children, cross-cultural development, and preventive interventions with children and their communities. Finally, a children's community psychology would better focus work involving children and communities, and renew impetus for primary preventive research and action involving young people.