Publications

Please find in this section all scientific publications resulting from the R&D work performed in SERENA

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on characteristics, extent, and trends in child maltreatment in 34 Euro-CAN COST Action Countries: a scoping review of the literature

The paper provides the first comprehensive review of how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the characteristics, magnitude and trends in child maltreatment across 34 Euro-CAN countries. Drawing on 87 studies published between 2020 and 2024, it examines multiple forms of maltreatment across sectors such as healthcare, education, child protection services and justice, identifying both consistent and divergent patterns during and after the pandemic. Initiated within the EURO-CAN Cost Action (WG5) and further developed as part of the SERENA project, the study highlights key evidence gaps, methodological challenges and the need for more harmonised and resilient child protection data systems in Europe.

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Pre-Print SERENA - Assessing and Improving Access to Health and Social Care Services for Children Rendered Vulnerable by Abuse: Protocol for a Cross-Sectoral Longitudinal, Mixed-Methods, Multi-Country Study Using Nationwide Data in Europe

The pre-print outlines the design and objectives of the EU-funded SERENA project, which seeks to improve access to health and social care services for children who experience maltreatment across Europe. Using a longitudinal, mixed-methods, multi-country approach, it examines healthcare pathways before and after maltreatment detection, associated physical and mental health outcomes, and societal costs. Combining nationwide administrative data from seven countries, child protection data from 26 countries, and qualitative interviews with adult survivors and professionals, the study identifies barriers, facilitators, and intervention points in service provision. SERENA represents the first large-scale, cross-sectoral effort to generate operational and economic recommendations to enhance child protection and care in Europe, with findings transferable to other international contexts.

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Hospitalisations for physical abuse in infants and children less than 5 years, 2013–2021: a multinational cohort study using administrative data from five European countries

The paper presents a multinational cohort study of hospitalisations for child physical abuse in children under five across Denmark, England, France, Ireland, and Wales between 2013 and 2021. Using validated algorithms on administrative health databases, it analyses incidence rates, hospitalisation proportions, age-specific trends, and coding differences across countries. Results show that infant hospitalisations for physical abuse remained stable over time but increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, while rates in children under five were lower but followed a similar pattern. The study demonstrates the feasibility of comparing temporal trends across countries and underscores the value of hospital data for child physical abuse surveillance, contributing to evidence generated within the EURO-CAN Cost Action and SERENA project.

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Publications

​Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on characteristics, extent, and trends in child maltreatment in 34 Euro-CAN COST Action Countries: a scoping review of the literature

Pre-Print SERENA - Assessing and Improving Access to Health and Social Care Services for Children Rendered Vulnerable by Abuse: Protocol for a Cross-Sectoral Longitudinal, Mixed-Methods, Multi-Country Study Using Nationwide Data in Europe

Hospitalisations for physical abuse in infants and children less than 5 years, 2013–2021: a multinational cohort study using administrative data from five European countries

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on characteristics, extent, and trends in child maltreatment in 34 Euro-CAN COST Action Countries: a scoping review of the literature