Children's participation in child protection: A scoping review of influencing factors and contrasting perspectives of children and professionals.

BACKGROUND: Despite children's right to participate in decisions affecting them, children involved in the child protection system consistently report feeling unheard. To strengthen child participation, a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing child participation is needed. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aims to identify factors influencing child participation in child protection decision-making and to compare which factors are emphasized by children and professionals. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Studies included in the review involved children and young adults who have been subject to child protection orders, caregivers of affected children, and child protection professionals, as well as report- and case file analyses, observations, and standardized assessments examining factors associated with child participation. METHODS: A systematic search identified 83 eligible studies. After identifying the influencing factors and qualifying the quantitative data, a qualitative content analysis was conducted to map and categorize these factors. RESULTS: Three levels of influence were identified: cultural, organizational, and interpersonal, the latter comprising professionals, parental, and child sublevels, including the relational factors between them, forming an ecological framework. Contrasting perspectives of children and professionals revealed that professionals emphasized structured and standardized approaches, whereas children experienced participation primarily as an emotional and relational process. CONCLUSIONS: The divergence between children's and professionals' perspectives appears to reflect structurally embedded conditions rather than conflicting intentions. Bridging this gap requires an adaptive, integrated approach that treats procedural safeguards and relational responsiveness not as competing priorities, but as mutually reinforcing conditions for meaningful participation.