Ecological Framework for Prevention

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: Past, Present, and Future
Series Title Issue Briefs
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability View
Download (PDF - 2,150KB)
Order (Free)
Year Published 2017
Discusses the importance of prevention as a critical component of the nation’s child protection system and examines the history of child abuse prevention, the scope of the problem today, ways in which quality programs are identified and implemented, promising prevention strategies, and issues for future prevention efforts. It outlines programs and strategies that are proving beneficial in reducing the likelihood of child maltreatment, such as public awareness efforts, parent education, home visitation, and community prevention efforts.

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.

Progress Toward a Prevention Perspective
Stagner & Lansing (2009)
Future of Children, 19(2)
Proposes investment-prevention as a new framework for preventing child abuse and neglect that focuses on strengthening protective factors and building family and social networks to reinforce the ability of parents to care for their children.