On (Not) "Coloring in the Outline"

This article provides an overview and analysis of 10 studies on violence and injustice from the perspective of youth. These articles are contained in the issue of Journal of Social Issues entitled Youth Perspectives on Violence and Injustice and, in the articles, the authors offer a unique opportunity to go far beyond the current discursive terrains of youth and violence. Through a reinterpretation of what is conceptualized as normative, an expansion of the conceptualization of "youth" and an exploration of a broad range of topics, contexts and methods, the issue explores five provocative and significant critical themes. These themes are: methodology is critical; youth as subject, not object; gift and danger of a clinical approach; centrality of school? and at the intersection of social justice and development . The impact of popular culture on youth and violence and the importance of examining what adults value as "entertainment" are discussed also.