Usually defined as the period of human development between birth (or sometimes infancy) and puberty, at around 12 years of age. i.e. a biological definition. Marking this period off from every other, treating people differently during it and expecting different behaviour from them gives it a particular psychological importance. In this sense childhood is not a universal PHENOMENON. It varies culturally and historically and in some societies does not even appear to exist.
See AGEISM.
