THE AUTHOR'S CENTRAL THESIS IS THAT CHILD ABUSE IS ROOTED IN OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE OF DENIGRATING CHILDREN AND INSTITUTIONALIZING VIOLENCE, AND HE FINDS THAT MOST ABUSERS ARE REPEATING CHILD-REARING PATTERNS PREVIOUSLY USED ON THEM. HE BELIEVES THAT CHILD ABUSE IS NOT USUALLY INFLICTED BY MENTALLY ILL PARENTS BUT THAT IT REFLECTS OUR PREDILECTION TOWARD DOING VIOLENCE TO ONE ANOTHER IN WORD AND DEED. MOREOVER, NOT ALL CHILD ABUSERS ARE ALIKE. THE AUTHOR INCLUDES A TYPOLOGY OF PHYSICAL ABUSERS OF CHILDREN THAT SHOULD PROVE HELPFUL TO THE PROFESSIONAL DEALING WITH CHILD ABUSE. AMONG THE OTHER TOPICS COVERED IN THIS TEXT ARE ALTERNATIVES TO CURRENT TREATMENT PRACTICES, TREATMENT OF SPECIFIC TYPES OF PHYSICAL ABUSERS, AND TREATMENT OF SEXUAL ABUSE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)