An ecological framework for prevention is based on the following assumptions:
Children and families exist as part of an ecological system. This means that prevention strategies must target interventions at multiple levels: the individual, the family, the community, and society.
Primary responsibility for the development and well-being of children lies within the family, and all segments of society must support families as they raise their children.
Assuring the well-being of all families is the cornerstone of a healthy society and requires universal access to support programs and services.
CBCAP Conceptual Framework (PDF - 42 KB)
FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (2006)
The Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) program is a formula grant program for States authorized by Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. The CBCAP conceptual framework provides an overview of the primary purposes of the legislation and describes the relationship between the underlying conditions the program seeks to address; the main activities funded (direct and indirect); the outputs; and the program's short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes.
Child Maltreatment Prevention Framework for Action
CO4Kids
Outlines the foundational principles, strategies, and outcomes within a child maltreatment prevention framework that is used by multiple programs in Colorado.
Principles of Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Offers a free online training on prevention that addresses different types of violence; primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention; the social ecological model; and the public health approach to violence prevention. Also see the Child Maltreatment section.
The Social-Ecological Model: A Framework for Prevention
Children’s Advocacy Center
Provides examples of child maltreatment prevention activities at multiple levels of the public health framework.
What is Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory?
Psychology Notes HQ
Explains the factors involved in each step of the ecological systems theory and outlines how the inherent qualities of children and their environments interact to influence how they grow and develop.