The four factors most frequently found to be associated with child abuse include aberrant childhood nurturing of the parent, early attachment problems between mother and child, aggressive tendencies in relationships in general, and high stress levels. A number of prevention programs have addressed the causes of abuse. These include early and extended mother-infant contact programs, perinatal support programs, parent education classes, counseling, and behavior modification interventions. While evaluation of such interventions is difficult, programs aimed at ameliorating the causes of abuse should also influence the incidence and/or severity of abuse. It is suggested that providing home visitors and other support systems to high-risk parents for the year following an infant's birth may provide the best form of prevention. 50 references.