Statistical presentation

Data description

Purpose of a Notification

The purpose of a notification is to alert the municipality to concerns about a child's well-being or development. This applies to children and young people aged 0 to 18 – including unborn children.

All citizens are obligated to notify the municipality if they are concerned about, or suspect, neglect or lack of well-being. Public sector employees who work with children and young people under the age of 18 have been subject to an enhanced duty to notify since 2010 (cf. Section 153 of the Social Services Act and Section 133 of the Child Act).

When the municipality receives a notification, it must assess whether action is needed, and if so, which measures should be initiated. The aim is to ensure that the child receives the necessary support as early as possible – before problems escalate.

About the Statistics

Statistics Denmark has published data on child welfare notifications since 2015. The statistics are released annually and consist of:

• Three StatBank tables
• A register for research and ministerial use
• A Nyt article from Statistics Denmark

The StatBank tables contain information on:

• The total number of notifications
• The number of children and young people being notified about
• The stated reasons for the notifications
• Who submitted the notifications
• The child or young person's age and gender

The figures are broken down by municipality. Each of the three tables uses different populations and provides distinct perspectives on the topic:

• UND1: shows the total number of notifications and the type of notifier

• UND2: shows the number of children and young people being notified about

• UND3: shows the number of reasons provided for notifications

• LABY16: shows the share of children and young people subject to notifications

The register

The Register contains the same information at the individual level. For notifications concerning unborn children, information about the expectant mother is included. Variables and classifications are described on: Danmarks Statistiks hjemmeside.

Classification system

The statistics are disaggregated by the following variables:

• Municipality
• Child’s gender
• Child’s age (measured at the end of the year)
• Type of notifier
• Reason for the notification
• Number of notifications per child during the year

For more information on Statistics Denmark’s classifications, see:

• municipalities (v1:2007-)
• municipality groups.

Age intervals in StatBank tables

• In UND1 (number of notifications) and UND2 (number of children and young people notified about), age is grouped in 1-year intervals.
• In UND3 (reasons for notifications), age is grouped in 5-year intervals.

Sector coverage

Not relevant for these statistics.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Administrative municipality: The municipality obligated to provide assistance or support, pursuant to regulations on special support for children and youth, as formulated in the Danish Consolidation Act on Social Services, the Child Act or the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Act.

Notification of concern: A notification of concern is a report to the municipality intended to raise concern about a child’s or young person’s well-being or development. A notification may come from both private individuals and professionals, and may also concern unborn children.

Statistical unit

The fundamental unit of the statistics are individual notifications of concern.

Statistical population

All child welfare notifications concerning children and young people under the age of 18, including unborn children, received by municipalities in Denmark. Notifications submitted to the Danish Social Appeals Board (Ankestyrelsen) are not included in the statistics.

Reference area

All municipalities in Denmark (excluding Greenland and the Faroe Islands). Læsø Municipality is reported by Frederikshavn Municipality.

Time coverage

The statistics cover the period from 2015 onwards.

Base period

Not relevant for these statistics.

Unit of measure

The Statistics Bank includes four different measurement units:

• UND1 shows the total number of notifications and their reporters.
• UND2 shows the number of children and young people who have received a notification.
• UND3 shows the number of reasons given for notifications.
• LABY16: shows the proportion of children and young people aged 0–18 who have received a notification.

The register contains the same information at the individual level.

Reference period

Calendar year.

Frequency of dissemination

Yearly.

Legal acts and other agreements

Data is collected by Statistics Denmark under the authority of Section 6 of the Statistics Denmark Act. Municipalities register notifications in accordance with Sections 152, 153, and 154 of the Social Services Act and Sections 132, 133, and 135 of the The Child Act. Reporting is carried out pursuant to Sections 82 and 84 of the Act on Legal Certainty and Administration in the Social Area. Reporting and data collection are regulated by the applicable Executive Order on Data Reporting in the Social Sector, available on the Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing and Senior Citizens’ website.

The statistics are not subject to EU regulation.

Cost and burden

For data transmitted directly from the municipalities’ professional IT systems, the reporting burden is considered negligible. In cases where municipalities supplement with manual reporting, a certain burden arises, although it has not been specifically estimated.

It should be noted that all municipalities are subject to an annual workload associated with the data validation process.

Comment

Further information can be found at the webpage of the statistics, Disadvantaged children and young people, or by contacting Statistics Denmark directly.