THE PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PARENT WERE ONCE BELIEVED TO BE THE SOLE DETERMINANT OF ABUSE: EARLY EXPLANATIONS OF THE CAUSES OF ABUSE DEPICTED THE PARENTS AS SICK, AND A 'PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL MODEL' WAS DEVELOPED. THIS APPROACH WAS SHOWN TO BE INADEQUATE IN PINPOINTING WHICH PERSONALITY TRAITS CHARACTERIZE THE PATHOLOGY AND IN EXAMINING POSSIBLE SOCIAL CAUSES OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS SEEN LEADING TO CHILD ABUSE. A MORE MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH INCLUDES THE SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ABUSING PARENTS AND VICTIMS AND THE SITUATIONAL OR CONTEXTUAL PROPERTIES OF THE ACT OF ABUSE IN A 'SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL.' YET ANOTHER APPROACH EMPHASIZES NOT ONLY THE PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF ABUSE, BUT THE SYSTEMS INTERACTIONAL QUALITY AS WELL; THIS 'PSYCHOSOCIAL SYSTEM MODEL,' OR PUBLIC HEALTH MODEL, FEATURES CONTINUOUS INTERACTION BETWEEN THE HOST-PARENT, THE AGENT-CHILD, AND THE SOCIAL OR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT. THE AUTHOR POSITS A 'MULTIPLE CORRELATES MODEL' WHICH INCORPORATES QUALITIES OF THE PRECEDING MODELS. FACTORS SHOWN TO BE RELEVANT IN THE EXTENSIVE LITERATURE ON CHILD ABUSE ARE CLASSIFIED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES: (1) PREDISPOSING FACTORS, E.G., WHETHER THE PARENT WAS ABUSED OR NEGLECTED AS A CHILD, SEX OR AGE OF THE PARENT, AND PHYSICAL MALFORMATION; (2) MEDIATING FACTORS, SUCH AS SOCIAL POSTITION, PARENTS' PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND MESSAGES AND INJUNCTIONS IN THE SOCIETY REGARDING EXPECTATIONS FOR CHILD REARING; (3) SITUATIONAL STRESS FACTORS, INCLUDING HIGH INCIDENCE OF DIVORCE, UNSTABLE MARRIAGES, SEPARATION, ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN, PREMATURE OR CONGENITALLY MALFORMED BABIES, AND FREQUENT PREGNANCIES; AND (4) THE IMMEDIATE PRECIPITATING SITUATION, WHICH MAY BE SOMETHING THE CHILD HAS DONE OR FAILED TO DO, OR SOME SEEMINGLY TRIVIAL EVENT IN THE PARENTS' LIFE. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE ISSUE OF WHETHER THE PARENT RESPONDS TO THE CHILD WITH ABUSE OR WITH APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR DEPENDS ON THE COMPLEX INTERRELATIONSHIPS ANTECEDENT TO EACH EVENT. ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE MODELS AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAS)