As part of the study, medical student responses were compared to those of practicing physicians. Subjects evaluated 16 different vignettes, each describing an injured child; rated whether injuries may have resulted from physical abuse; and indicated what further action should be taken with the case, including whether it should be reported. Results indicated a significant three-way interaction between injury severity, injury explanation, and delay in seeking medical attention. Subject gender and amount of clinical experience did not influence identification, although significant positive correlations between identification were found. Correspondence between responses of medical students and practicing physicians was quite strong. The authors note that the identification of physical abuse often depends on careful consideration of injury characteristics and plausibility of the explanation provided for the injury. They also indicate that identification and reporting of suspected cases of child maltreatment are important precursors to intervention, especially since maltreating parents do not usually self-refer for treatment. Implications for clinical training of mandated child maltreatment reporters and directions for future research are discussed. 31 references, 4 tables, and 1 figure