WHILE INFORMATION ABOUT CHILD ABUSE IS INADEQUATE, IT IS KNOWN THAT CHILD ABUSE RESULTS IN OVER 5,000 DEATHS A YEAR; ABOUT 4 PERCENT OF ALL CHILDREN ARE SERIOUSLY MISTREATED; MORE THAN 100,000 MISTREATED CHILDREN A YEAR ARE PLACED IN FOSTER CARE; AND MISTREATMENT FIGURES PROMINENTLY IN MANY SOCIAL PROBLEMS. WHILE CASE IDENTIFICATION IS DIFFICULT, FIVE CONDITIONS PLACE A FAMILY AT RISK OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT: (1) SICK PARENTS (I.E., ALCOHOLISM, MENTAL ILLNESS; (2) DIFFICULT CHILDREN (I.E., HYPERACTIVITY, MENTAL RETARDATION); (3) INAPPROPRIATE PARENTAL ATTITUDES AND EXPECTATIONS ABOUT CHILD-REARING; (4) STRESS ON PARENTS; AND (5) SOCIAL ISOLATION OF THE FAMILY. TRADITIONALLY, AN ABUSED CHILD MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE HOME, THE PARENTS MAY BE COUNSELED, OR MORE OBJECTIVE ASSISTANCE MAY BE PROVIDED TO THE FAMILY, SUCH AS HOMEMAKING OR FINANCIAL AID. STRATEGIC COMBINATION OF THESE APPROACHES WORKS BEST. FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION ARE GIVEN: (1) A REPRESENTATIVE OF A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM SHOULD VISIT THE FAMILY BEFORE THE BABY IS BORN AND SHOULD MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THE FAMILY; (2) PARENTS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO BE INVOLVED PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY WITH THE BIRTH OF THEIR CHILD; (3) SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO HELP WHEN NEEDED AND FAMILIES SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THE NATURAL HELPING NETWORKS IN THEIR COMMUNITY; (4) CHILD ABUSE PROGRAMS SHOULD USE TRAINED VOLUNTEERS AND SELF-HELP GROUPS WHENEVER POSSIBLE; AND (5) COMMUNITIES SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO CREATE AND SUPPORT COMMUNITY COUNCILS ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS PROVIDED. (MLC)