Elevating the Silent Child: Social Work Strategies to Enhance Children’s Participation in Family Communication

Children’s participation in family communication is widely recognised as a cornerstone of emotional development, socialisation, and overall well-being. Yet, in many Nigerian households, children’s voices remain marginalised due to authoritarian communication patterns, cultural expectations of obedience, and limited parent–child dialogue. This desk review synthesises empirical studies, policy frameworks, and theoretical models published between 2010 and 2025 to explore social work strategies that can elevate the ―silent child‖ and strengthen children’s communicative agency within families. The findings reveal four dominant themes. First, the silent child must be positioned as a social actor with rights to expression and recognition. Second, cultural and relational norms often reinforce silence, requiring context-sensitive interventions. Third, social workers play a mediating role by interpreting children’s silence, facilitating voice, and bridging generational communication gaps. Fourth, evidence-based participatory strategies—such as playbased communication, narrative methods, child-friendly safe spaces, and structured family conversations—emerge as effective tools for enhancing children’s agency. The review demonstrates that child-centred and culturally informed social work approaches foster confidence, promote reciprocal communication, and improve family relationships. Implications highlight the need for specialised training for social workers, integration of child participation principles into policy frameworks, and school- and community-based interventions that amplify children’s voices. Ultimately, this study provides a conceptual framework for strengthening social work practice and advancing children’s right to participation in Nigerian family communication, thereby contributing to broader discourses on child rights and family development.