While prevalence data are inexact, they suggest that as many as 14 percent of parents or caregivers abuse their children each year. Studies of maltreated children indicate that in infancy they display affective disturbances, emotional maladjustment, and insecurity in attachment relations. Abused toddlers appear inhibited and overly compliant. In older children, aggressive behavior is a common sequelae. An ecological synthesis of the major models of child abuse considers the personality and developmental history of the abuser, the role of the child in eliciting maltreatment, and the family and social environment, particularly with respect to its supportive and stressful features. Such a model can provide the basis for intervention. Current approaches to treatment usually focus on the abuser and are often single-focus. Even multidimensional programs, such as Parents Anonymous, are subject to the limitations of remediation, including low client motivation, fear of stigma, and its post facto nature. What is needed is a greater emphasis on prevention that focuses on the parental, child, and contextual factors in child abuse and parental competence.