Definitional problems in the area of child abuse are discussed, as are research studies on the consequences of abuse and their methodological shortcomings. Four models of abuse and its treatment are reviewed: the psychiatric which emphasizes the parent as the major cause; the sociological model which focuses on environmental stresses; the social-situational model which examines the effects of punitive child rearing, inconsistent discipline, and punishment; and integrative theories which suggest that all parts of the system interact. ALLIANCE, a child abuse coordinating agency in Syracuse, N.Y. is used to illustrate the comprehensive model. In this context, the paper reviews research on the impact of parent characteristics, child characteristics, parent-child interactional patterns, and both the home and community environments on child abuse. Also described are characteristics of change agents who have promoted effective treatment of abusing parents, prevention strategies, and research and evaluation needs. Over 200 references.