◎ Contents Part one : Theories 1. Something happened : Fission and fusion in developmental psychology 2. Evolution and development 3. Genes, environment, and psychological development 4. Cultural influences on development Part two : Agents 5. Families and social development : The 21st century 6. The company they keep : Friendships and their developmental significance 7. Social life in the primary school : Towards a relational concept of social skills for use in the classroom 8. Technology, media, and social development Part three : Substance 9. The developmental origins of social understanding 10. Children's perspective on the emotional process 11. Agency and identity : A relational approach 12. Sociomoral understanding 13. Gender and the development of interpersonal orientation 14. Youth crime and antisocial behaviour 15 Concluding remarks ◎ Abstract This tutorial textbook on child psychology includes chapters by academics in research areas as diverse as evolutionary and cross-cultural psychology, behavioural genetics, social cognition, family influence and shared understandings, and media influence on child behaviour.