A DEFINITION AND A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN ARE DEVELOPED ON THE BASIS OF NATIONWIDE SURVEYS OF CHILD ABUSE INCIDENTS REPORTED IN THE UNITED STATES DURING 1967 AND 1968. THIS INFORMATION WAS SUPPLEMENTED BY CASE STUDIES OF REPORTED CHILD ABUSE IN 39 CITIES AND COUNTIES DURING 1967. RANDOM INTERVIEWS WITH ADULTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN 1965 WERE ALSO USED. IN ADDITION, DAILY NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS WERE SURVEYED. THE INFORMATION INDICATES THAT THE NUMBER OF CHILD ABUSE CASES AMONG BOYS OUTNUMBERED GIRLS IN EVERY AGE GROUP UNDER 12, BUT THAT GIRLS WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE ABUSED DURING THEIR TEEN YEARS THAN WERE THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FAMILIES WHO ABUSE CHILDREN WERE ALSO ANALYZED. ALMOST 30 PERCENT OF THE ABUSED CHILDREN LIVED IN FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS; IN 46 PERCENT OF THE CASES, THE FATHER WAS THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD, AND IN 20 PERCENT OF THE CASES A STEPFATHER. THE INCOMES OF FAMILIES OF ABUSED CHILDREN TENDED TO BE VERY LOW WHEN COMPARED TO THAT OF ALL OTHER FAMILIES IN THE U.S. PERPETRATORS OF CHILD ABUSE TENDED TO HAVE LITTLE EDUCATION AND A LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. A LIST OF THE INJURIES COMMONLY INFLICTED UPON ABUSED CHILDREN IS INCLUDED. A STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN SHOWS THAT 56.6 PERCENT OF THE INJURIES WERE NOT CONSIDERED SERIOUS; 36.5 PERCENT OF THE INJURIES WERE LISTED AS SERIOUS, BUT NOT WITH PERMANENT DAMAGE EXPECTED; 4.6 PERCENT WERE LISTED AS SERIOUS, WITH PERMANENT DAMAGE EXPECTED; AND 3.4 PERCENT OF THE CASES RESULTED IN FATAL INJURIES. BASED ON THESE DATA, A TYPOLOGY OF SEVEN FACTORS OF LEGALLY REPORTED PHYSICAL ABUSE WAS DEVELOPED. THE FACTORS ARE: (1) PSYCHOLOGICAL REJECTION; (2) ANGRY AND UNCONTROLLED DISCIPLINARY RESPONSE; (3) MALE BABYSITTER ABUSE; (4) PERSONALITY DEVIANCE AND REALITY STRESS; (5) CHILD ORIGINATED ABUSE; (6) FEMALE BABYSITTER ABUSE; AND (7) CARETAKER QUARREL. PHYSICAL ABUSE APPEARS TO BE ENDEMIC IN AMERICAN SOCIETY BECAUSE OUR CULTURAL NORMS OF CHILD REARING DO NOT PRECLUDE THE USE OF A CERTAIN MEASURE OF PHYSICAL FORCE AGAINST CHILDREN BY ADULTS. ABUSE TENDS TO BE SUBTLY ENCOURAGED BY EDUCATORS, AND MEDICAL AND PROFESSIONAL CHILD REARING EXPERTS. MOST INCIDENTS OF ABUSE OCCUR AS CARETAKERS EXCERCISE THEIR PREROGATIVE IN DISCIPLINING A CHILD, AND SUCH CHILD REARING PATTERNS TEND TO VARY ACCORDING TO SOCIAL STRATA AND ETHNIC GROUPS. DEVIANCE AND PATHOLOGY IN THE BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILY UNITS WERE IDENTIFIED AS ANOTHER SET OF SOURCES CONTRIBUTING TO ABUSE. EFFORTS AIMED AT CHANGING THE CULTURAL SANCTION OF THE USE OF PHYSICAL FORCE IN CHILD REARING AND AT DEVELOPING CULTURAL PROHIBITIONS AND LEGAL SANCTIONS AGAINST THE USE OF SUCH FORCE WILL BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS TO REDUCE CHILD ABUSE. OTHER ASPECTS OF PREVENTION ARE NOTED. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (JSP)