The Conflict Tactics Scale was used to measure physical abuse. While there was a relationship in which the younger a mother was at time of birth of the abused child, the more likely she was to abuse that child, there was no significant relationship when the mother's age was measured at the time of abuse. The results also showed that the risk of child abuse is positively related to the number of children in the home. While minority mothers have a higher probability of child abuse, early motherhood is a risk factor among both white and minority women. The authors maintain that the findings confirm the importance of making available contraceptives and abortion to enable women to control the size of their families. Steps taken to reduce poverty among minority and young mothers could also reduce the risk of child abuse, as poverty is associated with early childbearing and high fertility. 4 tables, 1 figure, and 41 references