Studies that use similar methods generally show fair agreement, but some significant inconsistencies occur when different sources of information are employed. There is general agreement that mothers and fathers physically punish their children to similar extents. The picture regarding severe or abusive actions is less clear. Most parental self-report studies indicate that mothers are at least as likely as fathers to be responsible. However, according to most studies based on victim reports and on official or clinical records that take father absence into account, fathers are more often implicated. Possible reasons for the research discrepancies include differences between definitions, sample biases, and inaccurate reporting. Despite the lack of agreement, the evidence shows that fathers are responsible for a considerable proportion of violence to children. Implications of the findings for practice, policy, and research are discussed. An appendix contains definitions of the form and extent of physical punishment and abuse. 85 references, 1 note, and 2 tables