Treatments specific to each type of abuse have been developed. However, current studies of treatment outcomes are limited by small sample sizes, varying lengths of treatment, limited followup periods, lack of specificity regarding the types of cases involved, high dropout rates, and lack of comparative treatments. Findings from existing studies reveal that the treatment of abusive families is complex. Parents are often unwilling to seek help until required to do so or until a problem is of major proportions. It is unlikely that severely disordered families can respond to short-term treatment. Nevertheless, the current resources plus the extent of the problem mean that only a small proportion of families will be able to be treated properly. Nearly half of families with substantiated maltreatment receive no intervention than a child protective services investigation. Treatment and intervention can be effective if it is multiservice and comprehensive. The questions that remain deal with who is most likely to benefit from treatment, when it is safe to allow an abused child to remain in the home, and which treatments are the most cost-effective. Further research and a shift in priority from protection to assistance are also needed.