The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Social Development

Building on the success of the highly acclaimed first edition, The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Social Development, Second Edition continues with its presentation of the most thorough, authoritative, and up-to-date overview of research and theory concerning children?s social development from pre-school age to the onset of adolescence. Contributions from an international cast of leading experts in their respective fields incorporate the latest findings and developments in each of the topics covered in the first edition ? ranging from the family context, the peer group, social skills and social cognition, play, helping and moral reasoning to cooperation, competition, aggression and bullying, as well as children with special needs. This new edition is revised and updated throughout; it includes new chapters on issues such as children and the environment, cultural influences, the history of childhood, interventions, and neuro-psychological perspectives. Each chapter summarizes existing knowledge in the field, synthesizing the latest research in an accessible manner, while at the same time highlighting areas of emerging interest and growing debate. Editorial commentaries prefacing each section provide further synthesis and clarity for the topics covered. The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Social Development, Second Edition presents students, practitioners, and researchers alike with an invaluable resource for accessing the latest research and theories that shape our understanding of the social development of children.