ALTHOUGH THE INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF PARENTS IS A FACTOR IN CHILD ABUSE BEHAVIOR, THE GENERAL PROBLEM OF CHILD MALTREATMENT IS BEST UNDERSTOOD AS AN ISSUE IN THE STUDY OF THE ECOLOGY OF FAMILY LIFE, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CAREGIVER ROLE, AND THE PROVISION OF EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK FOR PARENTS. THE CLIMATE FOR CHILD ABUSE IS CREATED BY A CULTURAL CONDITIONING THAT EITHER PERMITS OR ENCOURAGES THE USE OF PHYSICAL FORCE IN THE SOCIAL CONTROL OF CHILDREN. WHILE SUCH A CULTURAL MANDATE BY NO MEANS SANCTIONS EXTREME ABUSE, IT PROVIDES A RATIONALIZING FRAMEWORK FOR THE JUSTIFICATION OF VARYING DEGREES OF VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN. SOCIAL ISOLATION OF FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUAL CAREGIVERS IS ANOTHER ECOLOGICAL CONDITION FOSTERING CHILD ABUSE. THE ABSENCE OF FEEDBACK FROM OTHERS REGARDING ATTITUDES AND REACTION TO STRESS, TOGETHER WITH THE ABSENCE OF SUPPORTIVE AND CARING RELATIONSHIPS, CREATES A VULNERABILITY TO DESTRUCTIVE INFLUENCES LEADING TO ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR. EMPIRICAL STUDIES TO TEST THESE ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES OF CHILD MALTREATMENT REQUIRE: (1) ANALYSIS OF A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF FAMILIES (INCLUDING BOTH RETROSPECTIVE AND PROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS; (2) A STUDY OF THE SOCIOECONOMIC, DEMOGRAPHIC, AND IDEOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF THOSE FAMILIES; (3) COMPARISON OF DIVERSE CULTURAL CONTEXTS; AND (4) ANALYSIS OVER TIME. WHILE NO SINGLE STUDY IS LIKELY TO MEET ALL THESE CRITERIA, AS A CONSENSUS ABOUT THE ECOLOGICAL MODEL DEVELOPS, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO GENERATE A COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM THAT WILL. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)