Young People's Perceptions of Political Violence: The Case of Northern Ireland

This chapter reconsiders the variability of conclusions researchers have drawn on the experiences of the impact political violence has on children. It begins with an examination of the extent of young people's experience of political violence in Northern Ireland and follows this with a consideration of children's perceptions of these same events. Particular attention is given to these perceptions of political violence as well as to socioeconomic variations in these perceptions. Through a series of data analyses, the chapter illustrates the degree to which the effects of political violence can be contingent on these types of variability.