The issue of children and youth at risk does not seem to need the support of history of education to justify its relevance and importance. Nonetheless, the discipline can offer an important contribution by demonstrating, reflecting and disseminating awareness of the fact that threats to children and youth do not simply constitute an ahistorical constant, but take on different shapes under different social conditions. Circumstances which one society would not even perceive as dangerous may be viewed as a significant threat in another.

In short, the perception of 'risk' is predicated on cultural, social and historical factors. Therefore, the articles collected here will show the reader that there is no innocent use of the term 'at risk' in history and are liable to strengthen the conviction that the same applies to the present.