SERENA Project

The implementation of the EU-funded SERENA project officially launched on January 1, 2025. This multidisciplinary initiative aims to enhance access to health and social care services for children affected by maltreatment across Europe.

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Addressing a Critical Need

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Child maltreatment, including physical, sexual, psychological abuse, and neglect, remains a prevalent though underreported public health problem in Europe, leading to long-term physical and mental health challenges for victims. Despite the availability of health and social care services, many affected children face significant barriers to accessing timely and effective support.​ The SERENA project seeks to:​

• Identify and analyze barriers to accessing health and social care services for maltreated children across different European contexts.​

• Assess current care pathways and the inequalities present in service provision before and after the recognition of child maltreatment.​

• Evaluate the financial burden of child maltreatment on victims, families, and society.​

• Develop actionable recommendations to improve detection, management, and prevention strategies, aiming to influence policy and practice across EU countries.​

 

A Comprehensive, Multinational Approach

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SERENA will employ a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative analyses in three EU countries and quantitative analyses using longitudinal cohort data from seven countries, as well as aggregated child protection services data from 26 countries.

An interdisciplinary, participatory synthesis of the findings will be conducted with stakeholders and adult survivors to co-construct an assessment of the current situation and define priority actions. Operationally and economically viable recommendations with the potential for transposability across the EU will be formulated and promoted. The SERENA approach can be summarised as follows:

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Anticipated Impact

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By addressing the systemic barriers that hinder effective support for maltreated children, SERENA aspires to:​

• enhance early detection and intervention strategies;​

• reduce the recurrence and severity of maltreatment cases;

• alleviate the long-term societal and financial burdens associated with child maltreatment.​

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The project's outcomes are expected to inform legislative measures, improve service availability and validity, and foster better coordination among health and social care services throughout Europe.