The primary approach to treatment has shifted from the punitive to the therapeutic. Child protection laws are now oriented toward non-punitive protection of children, helping families in crisis, preserving good standards of parental behavior, and providing basic services for the optimum care of children in the family setting. Further, broad issues such as cultural diversity are reflected in the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 and the Permanency Planning Act of 1980 which seek to protect cultural heritage while responding to the needs of children whose families can no longer take care of them. In addition to the work of various professionals, more public awareness of the need for better care of children has developed. This has led to more community involvement and the mobilization of volunteers and resources in an attempt to develop positive intervention and prevention programs. The roots of child maltreatment are discussed in terms of infanticide, abandonment, child-rearing modes and practices, child labor, child sexual abuse and prostitution, the advancement of children's rights, child protective services, and child abuse as a pediatric problem. 64 references and 7 photographs