The Prince of Wales Hospital is a large regional hospital that serves a population of over 1 million people in the Hong Kong New Territories. The researchers reviewed case records of all children with a discharge diagnosis of documented or strongly suspected child abuse. Thirty-eight cases (28 girls and 10 boys) met the criteria. The study findings agree with those from other Hong Kong studies of child abuse that found that older children were more commonly being physically abused than infants; the parents' perceived need for discipline was determined to be the major motive for the abuse. Early separation from the parents was a common finding. The overall impression of the study findings is that in Hong Kong, child abuse occurs in a child who is often not well-known to the parents, who typically lack psychological maturity and are under stress. In many instances, the abusers lack extended support from relatives or friends. Implications of these findings for preventive measures are discussed. 10 references