Several factors determine an individual's parenting style. Efforts to model this process generally include some combination of developmental history, personality factors, social interactions or social networks, family relationships, and child characteristics. Efforts to enhance parental capacity include both short-term and long-term interventions. Home visiting services represent one of the most effective child abuse prevention programs. Another successful program with severely dysfunctional families involves combining parent education with a therapeutic approach. The success of any program often depends on service provider qualifications and skills, and programs that recognize cultural diversity are essential. Several program features have been identified as increasing the probability of reducing child abuse and neglect within diverse populations. As with parenting enhancement programs, methods for providing child abuse prevention instruction in the classroom setting vary in terms of several key dimensions, including instructor characteristics and background, frequency of presentations, and specific program content. Some form of child-focused education is an important component in efforts to reduce the likelihood a child will submit to ongoing abuse or engage in violent behavior. Implications of program findings for future child abuse prevention planning are discussed. 93 references