Professional Perspectives on Children's Participation in the Chilean Child Protection System

ABSTRACT Meaningful participation in child protection systems is crucial for enhancing both decision‐making processes and the lives of children and adolescents. This study explores professionals' perceptions of child participation and risk assessment within the Chilean Child Protection System. Using the questionnaire 1st Study on Participation and Decision‐Making in Child Protection, data were collected from 112 professionals, including psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, curadores ad litem and Family Court judges. The survey addressed risk of maltreatment, attitudes towards child participation in residential settings and the implementation of participatory practices in residential care. Findings show that professionals generally support separating children from their families when risks are identified, particularly in cases of abuse or neglect, and express greater trust in foster families compared to residential care. Positive attitudes towards child participation are evident, though ambivalence emerges in relation to structural or nonroutine decisions, such as changes in placement. While participatory practices are reported as common, their use decreases when children are invited to influence their own treatment or intervention plans. Understanding professionals' perceptions is critical to identifying the factors that enable or hinder participation and to strengthening children's role in shaping protective interventions.