Drawing on a wide range of sources, including criminal justice records, news stories, and public opinion surveys, the author reveals how the cultural construction of social problems evolves. He discusses contemporary concerns about children, in particular the role of modernization in increasing the focus on children's well-being. Several images of children are noted that have been influential in the history of child saving: the rebellious child, the deprived child, the sick child, and the child victim. In particular, the image of children menaced by deviants has shaped public reaction to a wide range of social problems. Threats to children are discussed, and sociological perspectives on child victims and dangers faced by children are examined. A constructionist approach to dealing with the social problem of child abuse and cultural influences on child abuse are described. Consideration is paid to the rhetoric of claims making using the missing children problem as a case study, the evolution of defining social problems, and the media's role in contemporary claims making. References, notes, tables, and figures