Violence is now widely viewed as a public health issue, responsive to treatment and prevention. Understanding the effects of the physical environment on the social environment – the impact of living conditions, neighbourhood space, and territorial boundaries – can shed light on the dynamics underlying children’s experience of violence. The relations of power that govern households and wider society also define where violence occurs. These power relations are often expressed through control over space and the material conditions of life. The paper focuses on stress, which plays a fundamental mediating role in this relationship. There are direct connections between the accumulation of stressful physical conditions and violence; violence, in turn shapes the material world, diminishing children’s lives and opportunities.
