What is Child Science?

Current child-related issues are complicated by the fact that children who cause trouble are not necessarily children raised in an unfavorable growth environment as was the case before. As a result, many parents feel insecure and lack confidence in bringing up their children. The initial premise in our society was that serious problems do not occur as long as parents rear children in a customary way. That premise has begun to erode. Bookstores today display shelves of books with exaggerated titles like "Children Who Suddenly Become Violent," "Children are in Danger" and "Failing Children," which often fuels parents' fears.

Adults harbor the gloomy suspicion that society as a whole is becoming an unfavorable environment for children's growth. A new interdisciplinary approach to children's issues in which children are viewed as both biological and social human beings with all factors considered such as living environment, social surroundings and natural environment is strongly required.

Parallel with that requirement, views of humanity itself are now undergoing a paradigm shift due to new insights from cutting-edge life sciences such as brain science, genetics, evolutional biology, and so forth. The understanding of life phenomena in human childhood has been deepened by biological views that consider human beings as biological organisms, in the same way as other creatures are viewed, taking into account an evolutionary perspective. This is quite different from humanistic views that consider humans as distinct special beings different from other creatures.

The Japanese Society of Child Science was established to reflect the findings of research in various fields in response to the needs of society in this era of a new paradigm shift. The Society seeks to be a forum for the active exchange of views among all who are concerned about children, both researchers in specific disciplines or hands-on professionals working directly with children.