A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT SAN DIEGO DESCRIBED THE BASIC SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CHILD ABUSE. TEACHERS ARE MOST CLOSELY AFFECTED BY THE PROBLEM OF CHILD ABUSE, SINCE THEY MUST DEAL WITH NORMAL AND ABUSED CHILDREN EVERYDAY. TEACHERS SHOULD BE ALERT TO THE DIFFERENT INDICATORS AND DEMOGRAPHICS OF PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL NEGLECT IN SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN. THIS KNOWLEDGE AND RECOGNITION OF CHILD ABUSE CAN BE DEVELOPED BY SHARPENING ONE'S SENSE OF SMELL, TOUCH, HEARING, AND INTUITION, SINCE ALL OF THESE SENSES CAN HELP A TEACHER REALIZE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH A CHILD. THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER IS THAT OF THE CHILD'S ADVOCATE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY MUST HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE PARENTS. A PSYCHIATRIST FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH ALSO SPOKE ON ASPECTS OF ADOLESCENT ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND MOLESTATION. REPORTING AND INTERVENTION WITH ADOLESCENTS IS A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF ISSUE THAN WITH YOUNGER CHILDREN. THERE ARE SEVERAL MYTHS ABOUT ADOLESCENTS WHICH CREATE FAMILY FORCES ENDING WITH ABUSE. INTERVENTION IN THESE CASES MAY ENTAIL INVOLVEMENT IN SERIOUS FAMILY PROBLEMS, A PSYCHO-SOCIAL AVENUE TEACHER MAY BE RELUCTANT TO PURSUE. ALSO, WITH OLDER CHILDREN, THERE ARE MORE VARED REASONS UNDERLYING ABUSE, AND IT MAY TAKE ON COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FORMS AND SYMPTOMS THAN THOSE EVIDENCED IN ABUSE CASES INVOLVING YOUNGER CHILDREN. (BAC)