THE SIGNIFICANT FACTS REVEALED FROM AN EXAMINATION OF A SERIES OF NATIONWIDE STUDIES ON CHILD ABUSE SHOW THAT IT IS INTENSIFYING AND INCREASING. A SURVEY OF PUBLIC AWARENESS, ATTITUDES, AND OPINIONS IN THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN CONDUCTED TO OBTAIN AN ESTIMATE OF THE SCOPE OF THIS PHENOMENON. A CONCEPTUAL DEFINITION OF CHILD ABUSE BASED ON THE BAHAVIOR OF PERPETRATORS, RATHER THAN ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH BEHAVIOR, IS OFFERED. THE ISSUES OF RECENT PUBLIC INTEREST AND AN ILLNESS-AS-CAUSE HYPOTHESIS ARE STUDIED. A TYPOLOGY OF ABUSIVE PARENTS HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO SERVE AS A GUIDE FOR TREATMENT. THE MAJOR STUDY FOCUSED ON INCIDENTS OF PHYSICAL ABUSE REPORTED THROUGH LEGAL CHANNELS IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED STATES TERRITORIES DURING 1967 AND 1968. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IS ROOTED IN CULTURALLY DETERMINED THEORIES AND PRACTICES OF CHILD REARING, WITH A HIGHER INCIDENCE AMONG THE LOWER EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC STRATA OF SOCIETY, AMONG BROKEN FAMILIES, AND AMONG FAMILIES WITH FOUR OR MORE CHILDREN. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE MOST SERIOUS FORM OF CHILD ABUSE IS THAT INFLICTED BY SOCIETY RATHER THAN BY PARENTS AND GUARDIANS. THIS SOCIETAL ABUSE IS MANIFESTED BY THE STATISTICS ON INFANT MORTALITY, HUNGER, MALNUTRITION, POVERTY, INADEQUATE MEDICAL CARE, POOR EDUCATION, AND OFFICALLY SANCTIONED PHYSICAL ABUSE IN SCHOOLS, CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CHILD CARE FACILITIES, AND JUVENILE COURTS. AN INDEX, TABULAR DATA, AND APPENDIXES WITH SAMPLES OF SURVEY INSTRUMENTS, RESEARCH SCHEDULES, REPORT FORMS, AND TESTIMONY ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED-JCP)