"I got to say two or three lines"-A systematic review of children's participation in child protective services

Abstract

Background: Although children's right to participate in decisions that influence their lives is widely recognized, it is rarely present in the assessment and decision-making processes in child protective services (CPS).

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to examine children's views and experiences of participating in CPS cases of child abuse and neglect and to identify the gap in scientific knowledge.

Methods: The systematic review follows the PRISMA statement and includes 13 peer-reviewed articles published in several academic journals from 2016 to 2023 reporting primary research with abused and neglected children registered in CPS.

Results: Thematic analysis identified five main themes: participation: assessment and decision-making, information and understanding, interaction and relationships, children vs parents, and experience of younger children. The findings show that although a few children reported instances of meaningful participation, overall, children's participation was often reduced to a tokenistic engagement, with limited influence on the decision-making processes. Children, especially younger children, receive insufficient information and struggle to understand the proceedings. Examples of prioritizing parents' views, needs, and rights rather than centering the children's perspectives are reported.

Conclusions: The findings highlight a need for significant changes in how child participation is conceptualized and operationalized within CPS. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed to foster children's participation in CPS to contribute to the effective care and protection of children experiencing child abuse and neglect.

Keywords: Child abuse; Child neglect; Child participation; Child protective services; Systematic review; children's perspective.