Measurably reducing child maltreatment requires action from politicians, practitioners and the public. Internationally, some individuals and groups have pioneered programmes to prevent child maltreatment, or been instrumental in changing strategies or policies to protect children's rights. Although scholarly papers capture many of these successes, they can omit key points on how to establish and sustain successful interventions. This handbook authoried by World Health Organization Europe and Liverpool John Moores University – based on a series of interviews with the world's leading experts on preventing child maltreatment – aims to fill this gap by providing practical information to policy-makers, practitioners and others on implementing prevention programmes. The handbook describes key principles for selecting and delivering programmes, and important practical considerations, including resources and technical support. This handbook is intended to be used, alongside other resources developed by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, to implement the European child maltreatment prevention action plan.
