Luke Billingham is a youth and community worker at Hackney Quest and Research Associate at The Open University.Keir Irwin-Rogers is Senior Lecturer in Criminology at The Open University.

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• Introduction: Against Youth Violence and Against ‘Youth Violence’A harmful societyWhy are we ‘against youth violence’?Structure and style 1. The Nature and Scale of Interpersonal Violence in BritainIntroductionSources of data: strengths and limitationsInterpersonal violence in England and WalesInterpersonal violence in LondonConclusion 2. Developing an Approach to Social HarmIntroductionWhy not simply focus on ‘crime’ in children and young people’s lives?From crime to social harmOur approach to social harmConclusion 3. The Importance of Mattering in Young People’s LivesIntroductionThe importance of matteringAn insecure society? Social changes and global processes affecting young people’s sense of mattering in Britain todayConclusion 4. Social Harm and Mattering in Young People’s LivesIntroductionPoverty and inequalityDeclining welfare support: under-resourced communities and social care systemsSchools and educationUnemployment and ‘marginal work’Housing and homelessnessHarm and subjectivity, structure and agencyRelative prevalence of social harmsConclusion 5. Social Harm, Mattering and ViolenceIntroductionThe functions of violence and the factors most commonly associated with itSocial harm, the struggle to matter and the propensity to engage in violenceConclusion 6. Harmful Responses to ‘Youth Violence’IntroductionAn age-old mythology perennially resurfacing with ‘perpetual novelty’Demonize themPunish and control themSave themConclusion Conclusion: Towards a Less Harmful Society for Young PeopleIntroductionThe central arguments of this book: social harm, mattering and violence between young people2030: a near-future dystopiaThe changes that we need to improve life for Britain’s young peopleAddress harm, reduce inequality, enhance care