CHILD-ABUSING PARENTS COME FROM ALL EXISTING SOCIOECONOMIC LEVELS. THEY GENERALLY EXPECT THEIR CHILDREN TO GRATIFY THEM, AND WHEN SUCH CONFORMING BEHAVIOR IS NOT FORTHCOMING, SEVERE PUNISHMENT IS THREATENED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CHILD IS SELDOM ABLE TO MEET THE PARENTS' EXCESSIVE DEMANDS, AND THE THREATS ARE REPLACED BY ACTUAL PHYSICAL MALTREATMENT. PARENTS ARE ABUSIVE BECAUSE THEY OFTEN HAVE NO SENSE OF SELF-ESTEEM OR AN AWARENESS OF BEING LOVED. THE NEED FOR REASSURANCE IS CONSTANT, AND WHEN SUBJECTED TO DISAPPROVAL FROM THEIR SPOUSE, RELATIVE, EMPLOYERS, OR SOME OTHER IMPORTANT PERSONAL FIGURE, THEY SUFFER GREATLY, SUFFERING WHICH IN TURN IS DIRECTED TOWARD THOSE AROUND THEM WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE--THEIR CHILDREN. PARENTS ARE, AT FIRST, USUALLY RELUCTANT TO TALK TO SOCIAL WORKERS BECAUSE THEY ARE PERCEIVED AS CRITICAL AUTHORITY FIGURES. QUESTIONING THE PARENT OFTEN LEADS TO DENIAL, WITHDRAWAL, DEPRESSION, OR INCREASED LOSS OF SELF-ESTEEM. TO ESTABLISH A SYMPATHETIC RELATIONSHIP, THE WORKER SHOULD ALWAYS ASSUME THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME TYPE OF CRISIS WITHIN THE FAMILY. EXPLORING THE PARENTS' CHILDHOODS SOMETIMES REVEALS SIMILAR PATTERNS OF ABUSE, AND THE WORKER SHOULD BUILD ON THIS TO GAUGE THE PARENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD THEIR OWN CHILDREN. SUCH INQUIRIES HELP THE WORKER DECIDE WHETHER THE CHILD SHOULD BE TEMPORARILY REMOVED FROM THE HOME OR WHETHER THE CHILD MAY SAFELY REMAIN WITH ITS PARENTS. BESIDE ESTABLISHING A THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SOCIAL WORKER, THE PARENTS SHOULD ALSO SEEK INTERACTION WITH A SECONDARY THERAPIST. CONSTANT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE THERAPISTS AND THE PARENTS IS ONE WAY OF EVENTUALLY INTEGRATING THE PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN INTO A LESS VIOLENT FAMILY UNIT. A GOOD INDICATOR OF PARENTAL IMPROVEMENT IS THE WAY SUBSEQUENT FAMILY CRISES ARE TOLERATED OR HANDLED. ANOTHER SIGN OF IMPROVEMENT IS A CHANGING VIEW OF THE CHILD, NOT AS AN OBJECT TO SATISFY THE PARENTS, BUT AS AN INTERESTING INDIVIDUAL. THE SOCIAL WORKERS EMPATHY AND AVAILABILITY REMAIN THE MOST ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN SUCCESSFUL THERAPY, AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR FUTURE CONTACT BETWEEN THE WORKER AND THE PARENTS SHOULD ALWAYS BE MAINTAINED. NO REFERENCES ARE CITED. (JSP)