A STUDY IN BOSTON INVESTIGATED AND COMPARED THE NATURE OF CHILD CARE AND THE FREQUENCY AND TYPES OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT ASSOCIATED WITH ALCOHOLISM AND OPIATE ADDICTION; EXAMINED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STAGES IN THE CYCLES OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE (ACQUISITION, INGESTION, WITHDRAWAL, AND ABSTINENCE), THE ADEQUACY OF CHILD CARE, AND THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT; AND DETERMINED THE EXTENT TO WHICH SOCIAL AND SITUATIONAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT ARE PRESENT IN FAMILIES OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTS WITH DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF CHILD CARE. INTERVIEWS INCLUDED 100 ALCOHOLICS AND 100 OPIATE ADDICTS CARING FOR CHILDREN UNDER 18, AND INFORMATION WAS GATHERED ON DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, HISTORY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE, CHILDHOOD HISTORY, CARE/ABUSE/NEGLECT OF CHILDREN, AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STAGES IN ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE AND CHILD CARE, ABUSE, OR NEGLECT. ADDITIONAL MEASURES INCLUDED THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY, THE SURVEY ON BRINGING UP CHILDREN, AND THE SCHEDULE OF RECENT EXPERIENCE. SUBJECTS WERE INTERVIEWED AND TESTED IN TWO 2-HOUR SESSIONS BY PROFESSIONALS SKILLED BOTH IN INTERVIEWING AND IN THE ADDICTIONS. THE RESULTS OF INTERVIEWS WITH THE INITIAL 78 SUBJECTS -- 54 ADDICTED TO OPIATES AND 24 TO ALCOHOL -- CONDUCTED BETWEEN APRIL AND AUGUST 1976 ARE PRESENTED. A TABULAR BREAKDOWN OF SUBJECT CHARACTERISTICS IS PROVIDED REGARDING SEX, RACE, AGE, MARITAL STATUS, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT STATUS, ARRESTS, TREATMENT ATTEMPTS, PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE SUBJECTS LIVED WITH THEIR PARENTS UNTIL THE AGE OF 18. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT CERTAIN OR PROBABLE ABUSE OCCURRED IN 10 FAMILIES, OR 13 PERCENT OF THE 78 SUBJECTS. NINE OF THE CASES WERE CLASSIFIED AS PHYSICAL ABUSE AND ONE AS SEXUAL. CHARACTERISTICS OF THESE 10 CHILD-ABUSE FAMILIES ARE EXAMINED. SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE, AS INDICATED BY REPORTED LOSS OF CONTROL, OCCURRED IN 24 OF THE 78 FAMILIES, AND A MUCH GREATER NUMBER, 38 OF 60, WERE IDENTIFIED AS AT RISK OF HAVING SEVERE PROBLEMS IN CHILD REARING. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KBL)