Social network analysis in child protection information management research: A scoping review

Authors

• Samuel Salovaara University of Lapland, Rovaniemi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7818-8427
• Emilia Brusila University of Lapland, Rovaniemi https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9940-5288
• Timo Harrikari University of Helsinki, Helsinki https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0091-5959

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23996/fjhw.179055

Keywords:

child protection, child welfare, social network analysis, information management, literature

Abstract

Deficiencies in timely and sufficient information have been assessed as undermining the implementation of child welfare and exposing children to serious risks. Child welfare is therefore a critical area of information management, where gaps in information can lead to severe consequences. The child welfare mandate is carried out through multidisciplinary collaboration, which also involves the child’s kinship network. In practice, the production, sharing and use of information often occur within these networks. Social Network Analysis (SNA) offers tools for conceptualising and measuring the structures and dynamics of information management in multi-agency networks.

This article examines how SNA has been applied in research on information management in child welfare. The study was conducted as a scoping literature review aimed at systematizing existing knowledge, identifying key research gaps, and assessing the potential of SNA for studying information management in child welfare.

The findings reveal that the use of SNA in this context has so far been limited and primarily focused on inter-organizational collaboration. Based on the results, SNA offers promising opportunities for examining information management in child welfare, particularly in analysing the structure, functioning, and evolution of information‑exchange networks, as well as in identifying information‑management deficiencies related to multiagency collaboration. However, fully recognising the potential of SNA was constrained by the fact that in the studies included in the review, child welfare typically appeared as only one component within a broader network of actors, and information management was addressed merely as part of a wider research interest rather than as a primary focus of analysis.

Future research would benefit in placing information management at the center and extending the analysis to internal organizational practices. SNA provides tools for comprehensive research on information management, but its effective application requires strong methodological expertise and careful research design. This analysis offers an overview of the current state of the research field and guides future studies toward a network-based understanding of information management in child welfare.