Data were obtained from a survey of 221 reported crimes, involving 492 minor victims, 48 percent of whom were boys. All the crimes were committed by parents or stepparents against children in their families. Approximately 30 percent of the cases were reported to police by the guardianship officer of the local government and 25 percent by one of the parents. Many of the families in which child abuse occurred were characterized by unstable financial status and personal relationships; the parents were often undereducated and employed in low-skill jobs. There was also a high incidence of alcohol abuse among this sample. Eighty-three percent of the families in this survey lived below the poverty level and in substandard housing. 9 tables and 9 notes