Trust in Child Protection Services: The Role of National Trust Contexts in Norway and Romania

his article examines how national trust contexts shape citizens’ trust in child protection services (CPS) by analysing survey data from Norway and Romania. Employing a four-dimensional trust framework - encompassing institutional, social, family, and non-governmental organization (NGO) trust - and structural equation modelling, we identify key differences between these contrasting trust contexts. While institutional trust is the strongest predictor of CPS trust in both countries, the influence of social and family trust varies significantly. In Norway, social trust plays a notable role, reflecting the broader cultural reliance on generalized trust, whereas in Romania, family trust is influential, possibly due to the emphasis on particularized trust within close-knit networks. Trust in NGOs positively influences CPS trust in both contexts, suggesting NGOs mediate trust in CPS. These findings suggest CPS trust-building strategies should align with national trust contexts: leveraging institutional trust in high-trust societies and enhancing NGO and particularized trust in low-trust settings.


Keywords: Trust in public institutions; Child Protection; Norway, Romania, National Trust Context