Multi-sectoral action for child safety-a European study exploring implicated sectors.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Child Safety Research
• Health Governance

Background:

• Child injury in Europe presents a significant burden, with growing inequalities between high and low-income countries.
• The World Health Organization's Health 2020 strategy emphasizes inter-sectoral collaboration and whole-of-society approaches for complex health issues.
• Addressing child safety necessitates understanding the roles of various sectors in preventing intentional injuries, water incidents, road accidents, and home safety issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify relevant sectors involved in child safety interventions across Europe.
• To map the governance of child safety interventions using the organigraph methodology.
• To inform stakeholders on implementing effective inter-sectoral child safety strategies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the organigraph methodology to visually represent child safety interventions and their governance structures.
• Collected 44 organigraphs from members of the European Child Safety Alliance across 24 European countries.
• Analyzed organigraphs by counting and categorizing involved actors into predefined sectors.

Main Results:

• Identified 27 distinct sectors involved in child safety interventions across four domains.
• Nine sectors were classified as 'core sectors': education, health, home affairs, justice, media, recreation, research, social/welfare services, and consumers.
• Demonstrated the inherently multi-sectoral nature of child safety initiatives in practice.

Conclusions:

• Child safety is a complex issue requiring a multi-sectoral approach, involving a wide range of governmental and societal actors.
• The findings support the implementation of whole-of-government and whole-of-society strategies for child injury prevention.
• This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to enhance child safety governance in Europe.