MANY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN ABUSED AND NEGLECTED FROM THEIR CHILDHOOD INTO ADOLESCENCE; FOR MANY, HOWEVER, THE ABUSE AND NEGLECT START IN ADOLESCENCE. THE STUDY ATTEMPTED TO DETERMINE FACTORS WHICH ALLOW A FAMILY TO AVOID ABUSE DURING THE CHILD'S EARLY YEARS AND WHICH PRECIPITATE THE ABUSE DURING ADOLESCENCE. THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND, DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES REVIEWED CASES OF ADOLESCENT ABUSE FROM JANUARY 1975 THROUGH MID-1977. DURING ONE 12-MONTH PERIOD, THE AGENCY RECEIVED REPORTS ON 258 ADOLESCENTS OUT OF A TOTAL CASELOAD OF 751 ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN. OF THESE, 157 WERE REPORTED AS PHYSICALLY ABUSED, 89 AS NEGLECTED, AND 12 AS SEXUALLY ABUSED. TWENTY-FIVE OF THESE CASES WERE SELECTED FOR IN-DEPTH STUDY THROUGH AN INDIVIDUAL PSYCHIATRIC INTERVIEW WITH THE CHILD AND AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FAMILY. THE SUBJECTS RANGED FROM 12 TO 17 YEARS OF AGE; 18 WERE FEMALES AND 7 WERE MALES. INTERVIEWS FOCUSED 0N PATTERNS OF FAMILY INTERACTION AND THE PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENTAL STATUS OF THE YOUTH AND THE PARENTS. THE THE PARENTS. THE PATTERNS OF FAMILY INTERACTION SEEN PATTERNS OF FAMILY INTERACTION SEEN WERE EXTREMELY VARIABLE. ALTHOUGH NO SPECIFIC PATTERNS WERE ESTABLISHED, RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT EITHER THE PARENT OR THE ADOLESCENT WAS DEALING POORLY WITH AN EXPECTED DEVELOPMENTAL TASK. THE YOUTHS WERE USUALLY STRUGGLING WITH DEVELOPMENTAL PROBLEMS OF SEPARATION AND/OR CONTROL. THE TASK OF SEPARATION INVOLVES THE YOUTH'S MOVE FROM A POSITION IN WHICH THE USEFULNESS OF CHILDHOOD IDENTIFICATION ENDS AND IDENTITY FORMATION BEGINS. THE ISSUE OF CONTROL CONCERNS A CHANGING BALANCE BETWEEN PARENTAL CONTROL AND SELF-CONTROL; THE ADOLESCENT HAS TROUBLE CONTROLLING HIMSELF, THE PARENTS MUST STEP IN AND SET LIMITS FOR HIM. STRUGGLES OFTEN ARISE WITHIN FAMILIES OVER THESE ISSUES. THE ADOLESCENCE OF ONE'S CHILDREN IS ALSO A VERY DIFFICULT TIME IN THE LIFE OF A PARENT. SOME IMPORTANT FACTORS IN THE MIDLIFE DEVELOPMENT OF ADULTS INCLUDE THE DECLINING OF LIBIDINAL DRIVES, THE RELATIVE BLUNTING OF ALERTNESS AND INQUISITIVENESS, AND THE NEED TO ASSESS AND CONFIRM EXISTING LOYALTIES. THE STUDY INDICATES THAT: (1) THERE IS A GREAT VARIABILITY IN THE PATTERNS DEMONSTRATED BY FAMILIES OF ABUSED AND NEGLECTED ADOLESCENTS; (2) THE ABUSED AND NEGLECTED ADOLESCENTS USUALLY HAVE DEVELOPMENTAL PROBLEMS IN THE AREAS OF SIMILARLY IN THE MIDST OF A CRISIS RELATED TO THEIR OWN STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT. EXCERPTS FORM SPECIFIC CASE HISTORIES ILLUSTRATE THE FACTORS DISCUSSED. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (VDA)