The Protection Paradox

Abstract Child participation is considered crucial for the authorities’ ability to protect children from violence – yet children’s actual participation is limited, and participation and protection rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are often understood as opposites. This article aims to explore children’s rights to participation and protection against violence in Swedish social services’ handling of violence against children. Child welfare reports, investigations and child social records, were analysed using quantitative content analysis and thematic analysis. Insufficient conditions for child participation and poor access to protection and support were indicated. Upon closer analysis of cases that did not lead to protection or support, different aspects of an overarching theme, The Protection Paradox, were identified, which meant protection against participation or unprotected autonomy.