Individual papers consider the impacts of research into developmental psychopathology, the relationship between child abuse and attachment theory, and patterns of maternal behavior among infants at risk for later abuse. Additional papers consider peer relations and social skills in abused children, the general effects of abuse on young children's development, the dynamics of maltreatment of adolescents, and the connection between child abuse and criminality. The concluding paper emphasizes that the most promising approaches to prevention are multifaceted and capable of addressing all the factors that create contexts for maltreatment. Less comprehensive interventions include efforts to enhance the contact between parents and newborn infants, home visitation programs, and respite care. Home visitation by nurses in areas with high concentrations of poverty and unmarried parents is recommended as a way to improve many aspects of maternal, child, and family functioning. Tables, figures, and chapter reference notes.