Eija Paavilainen

Eija Paavilainen, PhD, works as a Professor (Nursing Science) at Faculty of Social Sciences/Health Sciences in Tampere University, from 2001. She has also a research position in Etelä-Pohjanmaa Welfare Services County (former Hospital District), from 2002. Her main research and expertise areas concern families with children in challenging life situations. Her largest research projects concern family violence, child maltreatment, and family risks, and care services for families with children. Those research projects are or have been funded by Research Council of Finland (Academy of Finland), Boards of Hospital Districts, Ministry for Social Affairs and Health, Finland, and European Union (ERICA PROJECT 2019-2021). She has over 250 scientific publications and over 200 conference presentations. She has acted in Editorial Board of Child Abuse Review during 2012-2017. Her latest research projects are being funded by Research Council of Finland (STOPCEM_VR, 2024-2027) and Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (VAUPRO 2025-2028). 

 See more (e.g.):

https://www.tuni.fi/fi/tutkimus/riskissa-olevat-vauvat-palvelujarjestelmassa-vaupro

https://www.tuni.fi/en/research/paradigm-shift-stopping-child-emotional-maltreatment-cem-through-virtual-reality-vr

https://www.tuni.fi/fi/ajankohtaista/perhevakivaltaan-helpompi-puuttua-kun-siita-puhutaan-suoraan

https://www.mustread.fi/artikkelit/riskien-tunnistaminen-on-paras-tapa-estaa-lasten-kaltoinkohtelua/

Erica-project - Stopping Child Maltreament through Pan-European Multiprofessional Training Programme: Early Child Protection Work with Families at Risk 

Project: Knowledge and cultural exchange in developing child and family welfare between Japan and Finland 

Finnbogadottir HR, Henriksen L, Hegaard HK, Halldorsdottir S, Paavilainen E, Lukasse M, Broberg L. The consequences of a history of violence on women’s pregnancy and childbirth in the Nordic countries: A scoping review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 2024. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380241253044

Flinck A, Rantanen H, Paavilainen E. Äitien kokemuksia neuvolapalveluista ja neuvolan kyselylomakkeista: Analyysi äitien kirjoituksista sosiaalisessa mediassa. Yhteiskuntapolitiikka 2019; 84: 322-331.       

Leppäkoski T, Vuorenmaa M, Paavilainen E. Psychological and physical abuse towards four-year-old children as reported by their parents: A national Finnish survey. Child Abuse & Neglect 2021; 118: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105127

Leppäkoski T, Vuorenmaa M, Paavilainen E.Combinations of parent-related risk factors explaining family violence towards children and spouse. Journal of International Violence 2023. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605231208421

Leppäkoski T, Vuorenmaa M, Paavilainen E. Families of four-year-old children experiencing violence: A national survey of parents and public health nurses on help and support. Child Abuse Review 2023; e2847 https://doi.org/10.1002/car2847  

    Paavilainen E, Flinck A. National nursing guideline for identifying and intervening in child maltreatment in Finland. Child Abuse Review 2013; 22: 209-220. 

     Paavilainen E, Lepistö S, Flinck A. Ethical issues in family violence research in healthcare settings. Nursing Ethics 2014; 21(1): 43-52 http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1177/0969733013486894  

     Paavilainen E. 2016. Assessing child maltreatment risk in families. In: Risk and Resilience. Golbal Learning across the Age Span. (eds. Clarke C, Rhynas S, Schwannauer M & Taylor J.) Dunedin Academic Press, Scotland, UK, pp. 44-56.

     Suzuki K, Paavilainen E, Helminen M, Flinck A, Hiroyama N, Hirose T, Okubo N, Okamitsu M. Identifying and intervening in child maltreatment and implementing related national guidelines by public health nurses in Finland and Japan. Nursing Research and Practice, Volume 2017, Article ID 5936781 https://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/5936781

     Paavilainen E & Koivula T. 2020. The Middle years. A neglected population regarding domestic violence and abuse? In: The Routledge Handbook of Domestic Violence and Abuse. Eds: Devaney J, Bradbury-Jones C, Macy R, Överlien C, Holt S. London, Routledge, pp. 171-183. 

ERICA Publications:

 Appleton J, Bekaert S, Hucker J, Zlatkute G, Paavilainen E. et al. A Pan-European review of good practices in early intervention safeguarding practice with children, young people and families: Evidence gathering to inform a multi-disciplinary training programme (the ERICA Project) in preventing child abuse and neglect in seven European countries. International Journal on Child Maltreatment 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42448-022-00132-x

Appleton J, Bekaert S, Hucjer J, Zlatkute G, Paavilainen E. et al. A pan-European review of good practices in early intervention safeguarding practice with children, young people and families: Evidence gatehering to inform a multi-disciplinary traing programme (ERICA) in preventing child abuse and neglect in seven European countries. International Journal on Child Maltreatment 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42448-022-00132-x

Bekaert S, Paavilainen E, Schecke H, Baldacchino A, Jouet E, Zabłocka-Żytka L, Bach, B, Bartoli F, Carrà G, Cioni RM, Crocamo C, Appleton JV. Family members’ perspectives of child protection services, a metasynthesis of the literature. Children and Youth Services Review 2021, 128, 106094. DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106094    

Crocamo C, Bachi B, Cioni RM, Schecke H, Nieminen I, Zabłocka-Żytka L, Vozniak-Brus M, Bartoli F, Riboldi I, Appleton JV et al. Professionals’ digital training for child maltreatment prevention in the COVID-19 era: A pan-European model. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 885. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19020885.  

Paavilainen E, Nieminen I, Rantanen H, Kaunonen M. Lapsiperheammattilaisten tiedot ja taidot lasten kaltoinkohtelun riskin tunnistamisessa. Hoitotiede 2022; 34, supplementtinumero.

Rantanen H, Nieminen I, Kaunonen M, Jouet E, Zabłocka-Żytka L, Viganò  G, Crocamo C, Schecke H, Zlatkute G, Paavilainen E. Family Needs Checklist: Development of a mobile application for parents with children to assess the risk for child maltreatment. 2022. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 19(16), 9810; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19169810  

Zlatkute et al. Preprint concerning ERICA Project:  https://psyarxiv.com/7qe5c

Zlatkute et al. Quantitative evaluation of a pan-European multi-professional digital training programme for stopping child maltreatment (ERICA). International Journal on Child Maltreatment 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42448-025-00232-4

Rantanen H, Paavilainen. 2022. https://www.mustread.fi/artikkelit/riskien-tunnistaminen-on-paras-tapa-estaa-lasten-kaltoinkohtelua/?utm_medium=internal&utm_source=ft

Over 250 peer-reviewed publications, see: https://researchportal.tuni.fi/en/persons/eija-paavilainen/publications/

Over 250 conference presentations