MISTREATMENT OF CHILDREN IS NEITHER LIMITED TO A SMALL NUMBER OF CASES, NOR IS IT COMMITTED ONLY BY PSYCHOTIC INDIVIDUALS. IT IS, INSTEAD, AN EXTENSIVE PROBLEM WHICH OCCURS IN ALL SOCIAL GROUPS. ABUSIVE PARENTS OFTEN APPEAR TO BE AVERAGE, NORMAL PEOPLE. CHILD ABUSE, INVOLVING THE INFLICTION OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE, IS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF DEATH FOR CHILDREN UP TO THE AGE OF 18 MONTHS. CHILD NEGLECT, THE PROLONGED DEPRIVATION OF FOOD, CLOTHING, AND AFFECTION, ALTHOUGH LESS IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFIABLE THAN CHILD ABUSE, CAN HAVE DEVASTATING EFFECTS ON A CHILD AND MAY EVEN BE FATAL. ABUSE AND NEGLECT IS USUALLY RECURRENT, YET MAY BE CHARACTERIZED BY AN ABUSIVE PARENT AS BEING 'NECESSARY DISCIPLINE.' AN ABUSED CHILD WHO SURVIVES WILL LIKELY SUFFER SEVERE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL DAMAGE, GROWING UP WITH A CONFUSED IMAGE OF HIS WORLD AND OF HIMSELF. ALTHOUGH FEW ABUSIVE PARENTS WANT TO HURT THEIR CHILDREN, MOST LACK THE SELF-CONTROL TO PREVENT THEIR OUTBURSTS OF VIOLENCE, AND MOST ARE UNPREPARED FOR PARENTHOOD. COUNSELING WITH ABUSIVE PARENTS INCLUDES DISCUSSION OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND OF POSITIVE WAYS OF INTERACTING WITH CHILDREN (TWK)