THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CHILD ABUSE AND MALTREATMENT WAS AWARDED A GRANT IN 1977 FROM THE NEW YORK COUNCIL FOR THE HUMANITIES TO HOLD A SERIES OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL SYMPOSIA IN 10 COMMUNITIES IN NEW YORK STATE. THE AIM OF THE SYMPOSIA WAS TO APPLY A HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE TO THE PROBLEMS OF CHILD MALTREATMENT. IN EACH OF THE SYMPOSIUM LOCATIONS, ONE OR MORE COMMUNITY GROUPS SHARED SPONSORSHIP OF THE SYMPOSIUM WITH THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE. AT EACH SYMPOSIUM, A PANEL OF HUMANISTS AND PROFESSIONALS EXAMINED ONE OF FOUR ISSUES EMBODIED IN THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: (1) SHOULD PUNISHMENT BE USED TO DETER CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT, (2) SHOULD SOCIETY INTERVENE IN A FAMILY BECAUSE OF THE LIKELIHOOD OF A CHILD WILL BE HARMED, (3) SHOULD AN EXPECTANT MOTHER BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HEALTH OF AN UNBORN CHILD, AND (4) SHOULD CHILDREARING VALUES BE IMPOSED ON OTHERS? TO ILLUSTRATE SOME OF THE ISSUES BEING DISCUSSED, A FILM WAS USED AS A POINT OF DEPARTURE FOR EACH QUESTION. IN DISCUSSING THE ISSUES OF WHETHER PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE USED TO DETER CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF REHABILITATION AND PUNISHMENT WERE DISCUSSED. WHILE REHABILITATION IS USUALLY CONSIDERED TO BE THE MORE HUMANE APPROACH IN SOCIAL CONTROL, IT MAY BE AS RESTRICTIVE AS CERTAIN FORMS OF PUNISHMENT. THE POSSIBILITY OF FINES FOR ABUSING PARENTS WAS ALSO CONSIDERED. ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON USING PREDICTIVE INSTRUMENTS TO JUSTIFY EARLY INTERVENTION IN POTENTIAL ABUSE CASES ARE DISCUSSED, ALONG WITH CONSIDERATION OF WHETHER ABUSE AND MALTREATMENT LAWS SHOULD EXTEND TO AN EXPECTANT MOTHER'S CARE FOR HER CHILD IN THE WOMB. IN DEFINING CHILD MALTREATMENT IN STATUTES, IT WAS NOTED THAT VARYING VIEWS OF CHILDREARING ARE INVOLVED, WITH CORPORAL PUNISHMENT BEING A PRINCIPAL CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE. THE DIFFICULTY OF FRAMING CHILD ABUSE LAWS THAT DO NOT VIOLATE SOME GROUP'S COMMONLY ACCEPTED PRACTICES OF CHILDREARING IS DISCUSSED. (RCB)