ABSTRACT Objective: To understand the performance of the protection network for children, adolescents, and their families in situations of intrafamily violence, from the perspective of professionals of the Specialized Reference Center for Social Assistance. Method: A qualitative study conducted with five Specialized Reference Center for Social Assistance professionals in a Pernambucan municipality. Data collection was conducted from October 2017 to January 2018 by means of a semi-structured interview, with data analyzed by the thematic content technique. Results: The professionals know how the protection network works, but they see the deductive logic of the team; the lack of material resources; the difficulty of articulation; and the logistics of care flow as limiting factors for maintaining effective care. Conclusion: The performance of the protection network must be able to ensure the rights of children, adolescents, and their families in situations of violence, through articulated and integrated care, aiming at changing attitudes and breaking the cycle of violence.