In this survey, a sample of 6,002 households was surveyed by telephone in 1985; 3,232 households had at least one child under 18 years living at home. According to the results, minor violence and physical punishment occurred most frequently among mothers, caretakers between the ages of 18 and 37, unemployed fathers, blue-collar workers, households with two to four children at home, drug- or alcohol-abusing caretakers, male children, and children ages 3 to 6 years. There were some changes from the 1975 survey in terms of region, race and religion of abusers, abusive fathers' education level, and characteristics of the victim. Preschoolers have replaced adolescents as the most frequently abused group. The highest rates of abusive violence occurred in families living in the East, families living under the poverty level, families with an unemployed father, families with four or more children, families where the caretaker used drugs at least once, male children, and preschool-age children. The authors use a psychosocial diathesis-stress model to explain abusive violence toward children. 8 tables, 6 figures, and 24 references