When writing a letter to a public official, Visnja, a young woman whose life has been defined by war, echoes sentiments expressed by many other young people growing up during and after political violence across the world.

Comments like Visnja's implore those of us who work with young people to learn more about how they perceive environments of armed conflict and its aftermath. Toward that end, the goal of the research discussed in this book was to interact with young people involved in practical activities to gain insights about the development of individuals and society. With an innovative theoretical approach, we ask, “How do young people growing up in political violence understand their plight?”

In spite of our advances, civilization at the beginning of the 21st century continues to be characterized by political violence, which is experienced by increasing numbers of young people (Barber, 2009; Boyden, 2009).