An empowerment perspective on social work interventions in the protection of vulnerable children

Vulnerable children constitute a central focus of child protection efforts. At the individual level, they are exposed to diverse forms of adversity and vulnerability. At the interpersonal level, they face fragmented direct protective networks stemming from both family and school contexts. At the environmental level, multiple systemic and structural inadequacies hinder effective child protection, including legal and policy dilemmas, community-level challenges, and the limitations of social force. In response, this study proposes a social work intervention approach grounded in the active empowerment of individuals and the enhancement of external support mechanisms. The recommended multi-level interventions include: fostering vulnerable children’s innate capacity for self-protection at the individual level; establishing a support network from family and school at the interpersonal level; and strengthening a supportive ecosystem for child protection at the environmental level. Collectively, these interventions provide a practical framework for improving the protection and well-being of vulnerable children.