Framing Family Risk in Child Protection: A Randomized Vignette Study

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined how the narrative framing of a child protection case shapes social workers’ assessments of a family's situation, perceived risk to children, and family strengths. Method: A randomized vignette survey was conducted among 411 social workers in Poland, who were assigned to read either a professional report or a family voice narrative describing the same multiproblem family. Both vignettes contained identical factual content but differed in narrative perspective. Results: Across all outcomes, the professional frame produced more negative evaluations of the family, higher perceived child risk, and lower ratings of family strengths. Regression analyses confirmed that narrative perspective was the strongest predictor of assessments. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that narrative framing systematically influences professional judgments, highlighting the importance of narrative awareness and balanced case documentation in child protection decision-making.