Parental consent in child welfare services: associations with child, parent, and system-related factors in cases of suspected child abuse

In Sweden, parental consent is generally required for children to access voluntary interventions from the child welfare services (CWS). Without consent, children may be unable to receive support deemed necessary by CWS. This study examines factors associated with parental consent in 135 child welfare investigations involving 253 parents, and analyzes dynamics at the levels of the child, the parent, and the welfare system. The findings show that almost one-third of parents declined interventions deemed necessary by CWS. Children’s consent was less frequently documented, limiting analysis, but age emerged as a significant factor, with older children being more likely to have their consent status recorded. Parental consent was more common among parents of girls, parents of younger children, parents experiencing social problems, parents acknowledged the occurrence of violence, and parents who had frequent contact with CWS. Regression analysis indicated that predictors of consent differed depending on whether the parent was suspected of violence, suggesting that suspicion status may influence the dynamics of consent. Taken together, these findings point to patterns in parental consent that warrant further investigation, particularly regarding how suspicion of violence and contextual factors at the child, parent, and system levels relate to parental consent.