CHILDREN WHO WERE REGISTERED TOTALED 163 BOYS AND 133 GIRLS. A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DESIGNED TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ON THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF CHILD ABUSE. FINDINGS REVEALED THAT ALMOST 80 PERCENT OF CHILD ABUSE CASES INVOLVED CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS OF AGE. THE MOST VULNERABLE AGE APPEARED TO BE THE PERIOD UP TO 12 MONTHS, WITH 24.3 PERCENT OF INJURIES INFLICTED DURING THIS PERIOD; 30.4 PERCENT OF INJURIES OCCURRED BEFORE CHILDREN REACHED 2 YEARS. INJURIES TO CHILDREN BETWEEN 12 AND 14 YEARS WERE, ALMOST WITHOUT EXCEPTION, THE RESULT OF EXTREME DISCIPLINE TO CURB ACTUAL OR IMAGINED UNRULY BEHAVIOR, OR, IN THE CASE OF GIRLS, INCEST. OF ALL ABUSED CHILDREN ON THE REGISTERS, 40.5 PERCENT WERE THE ELDEST. SINCE 98 PERCENT OF THE CHILDREN WERE CONSIDERED NORMAL, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HANDICAPS WERE NOT RELATED TO THE INCIDENCE OF CHILD ABUSE, IN THIS STUDY. MOST REFERRALS OF CHILD ABUSE CAME FROM OFFICAL BODIES, I.E., HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICE BOARDS, SCHOOLS, POLICE, PHYSICIANS, OR HOSPITALS. ONLY 9.5 PERCENT OF PARENTS REFERRED CHILDREN. STATISTICALLY, MOTHERS APPEARED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MORE CHILD ABUSE THAN FATHERS OR FATHER FIGURES. OVER HALF OF MEN IN THE FAMILIES WERE EMPLOYED, BUT 93 PERCENT OF MOTHERS WERE UNEMPLOYED HOUSEWIVES. FINANCIAL PROBLEMS WERE SIGNIFICANT, 39.2 PERCENT OF MARRIAGES WERE BREAKING UP IF THEY HAD NOT ALREADY DONE SO, 36 MOTHERS HAD RECEIVED PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT, AND 100 WERE CONSIDERED UNSTABLE. THE SURVEY ALSO FOUND THAT 98 PERCENT OF FAMILIES LIVED IN HOUSES OR APARTMENTS, AND THAT ADVERSE HOUSING CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTED ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF FAMILIES. MOST INJURIES WERE MILD (SUPERFICIAL SOFT TISSUE INJURIES) OR OF THE PRODROMAL (AT RISK) TYPE. A DESCRIPTION OF THE NONACCIDENTAL INJURY REGISTERS AND CASE MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES IS PRESENTED. REFERENCES AND THE DATA COLLECTION QUESTIONNAIRE ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)