Vulnerability of children in adverse situations to their development: Proposed analytical matrix

Abstract

This theoretical study presents a conceptual matrix built to analyze the vulnerability of children in adverse situations to their development. It proposes that the vulnerability of children is analyzed by means of the following dimensions: individual, which is related to ongoing nurturing relationships, physical protection and security; social, which concerns the social insertion of family and access to rights of social protection and promotion; and programmatic, which involves the political-programmatic scenario and the guidelines and political-programmatic implementation. The practical application of this matrix allows apprehending the health-disease process beyond the individual dimension, enabling the articulation of public policies and actions of professionals to achieve effectiveness in meeting the needs of children. The use of this conceptual matrix can provide to health teams a specific understanding of the adverse situations to child development as well as subsidizing intervention plans based on the analytical dimensions of vulnerability.