The study included replication of selected topics addressed in a 1978 survey drawn from the same population, thereby allowing for an analysis of changes in attitudes and experiences during the 13-year period. In the 1991 survey, 16.2 percent of the parents reported that at least one of their children had been abused or neglected, compared to 8.5 percent reporting abuse and neglect in 1978. In reporting on their own experiences of abuse as children, 18.7 percent of the respondents indicated they had been abused or neglected as children, a 30.8-percent increase over the 14.3 percent reported in the 1978 survey. One out of five respondents was aware of at least one close friend whose child or children had been abused or neglected, a 39-percent increase over the 15 percent reported in the 1978 survey. Despite the reported increase in abuse, findings from the survey suggest that efforts to educate the public about child abuse and neglect have had a significant and positive impact. A greater percentage of respondents from the 1991 survey perceive certain acts of physical contact with children as being abusive than in the 1978 survey. 80 tables