The value of responsibility, certainty, and child rights for supporting state intervention in the family – An empirical study of populations in six european countries

This article examines the role individuals’ basic values about responsibility, uncertainty and child rights, have on willingness to accept state intervention in a family in a potential child protection situation. A key area within social sciences is how and when it is justified for governments to restrict individual freedom, for example allow authorities to intervene in the private sphere to protect a child from potential harm. In this article data from representative samples of the populations in six countries – Norway, Finland, England, Poland, Romania, and Czechia (total n = 6031) are analysed. Two main explanations are tested, first if individuals’ basic values explain willingness to restrict freedom, and second, if institutional context explains country differences. The results show that individuals who favour parental responsibility, accept uncertainty, and who have high ambitions on child rights, also favour interventions in the family to protect a child. However, sociodemographic variables nuance these findings. Institutional context sheds light on country differences. Our analysis show that people overall are positive to child protection interventions, and our findings accord with results within welfare state- and child protectionsystem research and provide increased knowledge about the relationship and connection between people’s value base and support for welfare policies.