The literature suggests that such abuse in its various forms -- physical, emotional, sexual, and neglect -- is a major social problem in the United States. Although there are specific risk factors for child abuse victimization and perpetration, there is wide variability in the types of family situations where abuse occurs. The crisis intervention process for child abuse is crucial as a key decisionmaking stage for how these cases will be handled by official agencies and the resulting outcomes for the involved individuals, families, and communities. These decisions involve identifying, investigating, and providing services for child abuse on the bases of concerns abut the safety of the child victim and other potential victims, the present situation and needs of troubled families, and any possible criminal activity that occurred. The resulting actions taken by agencies can include a provision of social services and removal of the child from the family through the full range of formal and informal criminal justice sanctions. Crucial to the full impact of crisis intervention for child abuse are careful judgments about the most appropriate and beneficial services for families, the abilities of communities to provide and deliver such services, and follow- up monitoring of their use and effectiveness. Implemented properly, these actions can provide a vital social safety net that helps involved families to prevent future abuse and develop more functional family systems. If conducted improperly, however, these same actions can do extensive harm and further traumatize victims and families. Chapter questions, simulated exercises, and 76 references