The results showed higher scores on the CTS verbal and violence scales for both the abusive mothers and the nonabusive mothers who had themselves been abused. None of the CTS scores were different for these groups. However, the CAP abuse scores were different for all three groups. The rigidity and unhappiness scores differentiated the abusers from the nonabusive comparison subjects who had been abused as children; these scales were the only measures that were not different for the two nonabusive comparison groups. The findings showed that nonabusive mothers with a childhood history of abuse were less rigid in their expectations from their children and happier in their interpersonal relationships than abusive mothers who had similar histories of childhood abuse. The results suggest that specific cognitive and affective treatments and skill training may help to reduce abuse potential in parents with a childhood history of abuse. 4 tables and 30 references