Examining the Likelihood of Being Referred to the Child Welfare Services in Sweden: Influences at the Individual, Peer and School‐Area Levels

Abstract

In Sweden, both maltreatment and behavioural problems are indicative of needs that motivate interventions from child welfare services (CWS). However, the likelihood of being referred to CWS can be influenced by other than indicative factors on individual, peer and school‐area levels. Studies disentangling such other factors (possible bias) from indicative factors are still lacking in Sweden. Using a subsample of 1286 children across 14 schools from a longitudinal research programme and linking survey data to child welfare records, this article examines the relationship between maltreatment, behavioural problems, individual socio‐economic factors, peer affiliation, disadvantaged school areas and the likelihood of being referred. After controlling for maltreatment and behavioural problems, findings demonstrate that other factors on all three levels (individual, peer and school‐area) increase the likelihood of being referred, for example, living with low socio‐economic status, living in a single‐parent household, being affiliated with peers who smoke and attending school with a large proportion of children from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. The findings highlight that individual‐level socio‐economic factors are pivotal in understanding why some children are referred, while others with similar needs are not. Implications for outreach social work with children at risk of maltreatment and behavioural problems are discussed.