CHILD ABUSE IS DEFINED AS PARENTAL BATTERING AND SEVERE NEGLECT. DR. C. HENRY KEMPE AND HIS ASSOCIATES HAVE DISCOVERED THAT APPROXIMATELY 5 PERCENT OF THE BATTERING CASES ARE FATAL AND 5 TO 10 PERCENT OF THE VICTIMS WILL SUSTAIN INJURIES SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE PERMANENT DAMAGE. THE SYMPTOMS OF CHILD ABUSE MOST OFTEN NOTED BY PHYSICIANS AND HOSPITAL STAFFS INCLUDE A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE ALLEGED ACCIDENT AND THE NUMBER OF INJURIES SEEN, A TIME LAG BETWEEN THE ALLEGED TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE TIME THE CHILD IS BROUGHT TO THE HOSPITAL, AND BRUISES AND CUTS FAILING TO REAPPEAR WHEN THE CHILD IS REMOVED FROM THE HOME. THE ABUSING PARENT IS SEEN BY PSYCHOLOGISTS AS HAVING TRAITS OF ANGER, RIGIDITY, COMPULSIVENESS AND CONCERN WITH HIS OWN PLEASURES. SOME ARE PASSIVE AND DEPENDENT AND ALL ARE UNABLE TO TOLERATE TENSION AND FRUSTRATION. CHILD ABUSERS USUALLY HAD CRUEL, UNLOVING PARENTS THEMSELVES AND WERE RAISED IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF BATTERING AND UNREASONABLE DEMANDS. THE CHILD-ABUSING PARENT OFTEN DISPLAYS SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS, TENDING TO BE MARKEDLY IMMATURE AND DEPENDENT IN THEIR ADULT RELATIONS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, ALMOST ALL SUCH PARENTS LACK THE CAPACITY FOR NURTURING. CURRENT METHODS OF HELPING THESE PARENTS INCLUDE TRADITIONAL COUNSELING TECHNIQUES AS WELL AS BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. PARENTAL SKILLS ARE DEVELOPED IN FORMAL CLASSES GIVEN BY GROUPS SUCH AS PARENT EFFECTIVENESS TRAINING. MORE EXPLORATION IS NEEDED TO FIND OTHER BEHAVIORAL TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BE USED. SPECIFIC AREAS THAT NEED RESEARCH ARE (I) THE ROLE OF THE CHILD IN THIS PATTERN, (2) THE TRIGGERING MECHANISM, (3) SELF-CONTROL TECHNIQUES, AND (4) WAYS TO HELP PARENTS EXPLORE METHODS OF SELF-REINFORCEMENT. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (STB)