THE FIRST PART OF THE STUDY, CONSIDERED EXPLORATORY, INVOLVED THE ANALYSIS OF 120 CASE RECORDS SELECTED FROM TWO PUBLIC CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES IN THE SUBURBS OF A LARGE EASTERN CITY AND A CHILD PROTECTIVE AGENCY LOCATED IN THE CITY. ALL RECORDS WERE SELECTED BY PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED SUPERVISORS AS REPRESENTING THE TOTAL GROUP OF FAMILIES WITH CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT PROBLEMS COMING TO THEIR AGENCIES. FACTORS CHARACTERIZING THESE CASES WERE DEVELOPED INTO A SCHEDULE USED IN THE SECOND PART OF THE STUDY, WHICH CONSISTED OF AN ANALYSIS OF 180 CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT CASES DRAWN FROM A VARIETY OF GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS. THE 180 FAMILIES CONSIDERED IN THE SECOND PHASE OF THE STUDY WERE ASSIGNED TO THE FOLLOWING FOUR GROUPS: (1) SEVERE NEGLECT, WHICH CONSISTED OF INADEQUATE FEEDING; (2) MODERATE NEGLECT, WHICH CONSISTED OF LACK OF CLEANLINESS, CLOTHING, OR MEDICAL CARE; (3) SEVERE ABUSE, WHICH INVOLVED ONE OR BOTH PARENTS REPEATEDLY BEATING THE CHILD TO THE EXTENT THAT INJURIES WERE VISIBLE; AND (4) MODERATE ABUSE, WHICH INVOLVED SPORADIC BEATINGS OF A NATURE LESS VIOLENT THAN THAT EVIDENCED IN THE SEVERE ABUSE GROUP. FAMILIES NEGLECTING THEIR CHILDREN WERE GENERALLY FOUND TO BE INDIFFERENT AND APATHETIC TOWARD THEIR CHILDREN AND PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES; WHEREAS, ABUSING PARENTS WERE FOUND TO BE AGGRESSIVE AND INTENT UPON VICTIMIZING THEIR CHILDREN. PATTERNS OF SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND IN THE FAMILIES ARE DISCUSSED, ALONG WITH THE ROOTS OF ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR EVIDENCED IN THE ABUSING PARENTS' BACKGROUNDS. SOCIAL CASEWORK WITH THE FAMILIES IS DESCRIBED. APPROACHES THAT MAY PREVENT ABUSE AND NEGLECT ARE DISCUSSED. CASE STUDIES ARE INCLUDED, ALONG WITH DATA DERIVED FROM THE STUDY. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND AN INDEX ARE ALSO PROVIDED. (RCB)