This book is a pioneering study of trust dynamics in children's lives that develops a new theoretical angle for studying children's participation and citizenship. Trust and mistrust are concepts that often figure in sociological research on childhood but despite their significance they remain under-theorized. Drawing on a wealth of empirical evidence from a range of institutional and cultural contexts, this book explores the impact of trust dynamics in shaping children's participation, citizenship and well-being that sets the agenda for future research.