THE INTRODUCTION REVIEWS THE LITERATURE AND GIVES THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE STUDY. THEN FACTOR ANALYSIS IS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE IMPORTANCE OF 25 CHILD AND FAMILY FACTORS ISOLATED FROM 300 CASES REPORTED BY BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AGENCIES. OF THESE 25 FACTORS, 3 WERE IDENTIFIED AS CRITICAL IN A CHILD PLACEMENT DECISION: (1) PARENTAL POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE, (2) VULNERABILITY OF THE CHILD, AND (3) VISUAL EVIDENCE OF ABUSE OR OF A DISTURBED CHILD. AGENCY SETTING OR AGE OF SOCIAL WORKER WERE NOT IMPORTANT FACTORS ALONE. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE TRACED TO SOCIAL WORKER EDUCATION. THOSE WITH MASTER'S DEGREES IN SOCIAL WORK VIEWED THE PARENTAL ABUSE DIFFERENTLY FROM THOSE WITH BACHELOR'S DEGREES. THEY ANALYZED MORE FACTORS AND ANALYZED THEM MORE THOROUGHLY. THE BALTIMORE SPECIALIZED PROTECTIVE SERVICES AGENCIES WERE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN GENERAL AGENCIES AND OLDER WORKERS WITH MASTER'S DEGREES WERE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN YOUNGER WITH MASTER'S DEGREES. OLDER WORKERS WITH BACHELOR'S DEGREES WERE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN YOUNGER WORKERS WITH THE SAME EDUCATION. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT SPECIALIZED UNITS IN CHILD ABUSE MAKE MORE EFFECTIVE JUDGMENTS THAN NONSPECIALIZED AND THAT OLDER, MORE EXPERIENCED WORKERS MAY BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN THESE UNITS. DETAILED STUDY DATA IS PRESENTED IN TABULAR FORM. THE SURVEY INSTRUMENTS AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE APPENDED. (GLR)