IJPDS International Journal of Population Data Science

SERENA (Services for children RENdered vulnerable by Abuse) is the first large-scale, longitudinal, pan-European project examining how health and social care systems respond to children who have experienced abuse and neglect, and how those systems could be improved in practice and cost-effectively.

A new European initiative, SERENA, whose protocol is published in the International Journal of Population Data Science, is bringing together 22 partners across Europe to strengthen support for children affected by abuse and neglect.

Child maltreatment—including physical, sexual, and psychological abuse—can have lifelong impacts on health, wellbeing, and life opportunities. Yet many children still struggle to access appropriate health and social care services, and support varies widely between countries.

Over the coming years, SERENA researchers will examine how children experience these systems across Europe, with the aim of identifying better ways to improve early support, detection, and long-term care.

Child maltreatment is recognized as one of Europe’s major public health challenges. Evidence consistently shows that children who experience abuse or neglect are at greater risk of long-term physical and mental health problems. These experiences can extend into adulthood, affecting education, employment, and social relationships.

However, there remains limited comparative knowledge about how health and social care services respond to affected children across different European countries.

The SERENA project will analyse this gap by:

• Analysing health and child protection data from across Europe
• Conducting interviews with adults who experienced maltreatment in childhood
• Gathering insights from professionals working in health and social care
• Examining the wider social and economic costs, including healthcare use, educational support needs, and productivity losses

By combining quantitative evidence with lived experience, the project aims to identify practical ways to strengthen support systems and improve coordination between services.

The overall aim of SERENA is to ensure that children affected by maltreatment receive earlier, more effective, and better coordinated support throughout Europe.

Findings are expected to inform future policy development and improve how health and social care services identify and respond to child maltreatment across EU member states.

Researchers involved in the SERENA project highlight that “Children who experience maltreatment often continue to face challenges throughout their lives. By understanding where support systems work well—and where they fail—the project aims to contribute to earlier intervention, improved care pathways, and better long-term outcomes for vulnerable children and families across Europe.”

 

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Catherine Quantin, Université Bourgogne Europe, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Service de Biostatistiques et d’Information Médicale (DIM), and INSERM, Université Bourgogne Europe and Université Paris-Saclay, France

Quantin, C., O'Leary, D., Shenderovich, Y., Batura, N., Broccia, M., Cottenet, J., Cowley, L., Graesholt-Knudsen, T., Lamela, D., Lalor, K., Jud, A., Hakkaart-van Roijen, L., Fallesen, P., Nikolaidis, G., Dinapogias, A., Nurmatov, U. and Brophy, S. (2026) “SERENA - Assessing and improving access to health and social care SErvices for children RENdered vulnerable by Abuse: protocol for a cross-sectoral, mixed-methods, multi-country study using nationwide data, in Europe ”, International Journal of Population Data Science, 11(3). doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v11i3.3147.