Conflicts have arisen between law, medicine, and mental health as each group seeks to act on its own interpretations of child maltreatment to maintain confidentiality, protect the client from harm, and prevent professional and personal biases from influencing outcomes. Medical professionals hope that reporting child abuse is the least harmful action that they can take for the child. However, harm may come not only from failure to recognize abuse but also from the unkind ways that society receives and treats these children, as well as incompetence among some professionals involved with these children. Many abused children may have to return to unsafe home situations. Family supports that make it safe to keep children in their homes are rarely sufficiently available. The consequences of incompetent intervention make many question that punishment is being inflicted in the guise of help. Educating the public about the existence of child abuse is not enough; further commitment is needed. Professionals must also think beyond their own fields and terminology. 4 references