This report, written by Adam Coutts and Diego Mauricio Diaz Velásquez, is the second in a series published by Demos in partnership with Local Trust and 3ni, called Social Capital 2025. The series examines social capital and the contribution that strengthening it makes to improving economic and social outcomes, including for children, improving health and wellbeing and reducing crime and antisocial behaviour.
In this report we examine the evidence that social capital acts as a protective shield for children, families and communities under stress and make the case that the state should increase activities that strengthen social capital and networks to support families to stay safely together.
Read the first paper in this series, Social Capital 2025: The hidden wealth of nations, and the associated briefing paper which defines the concept of social capital.