THE ABUSES OF CHILD PSYCHIATRY ARE SO EXTENSIVE THAT, LIKE CHILD LABOR, IT SHOULD BE PROHIBITED. TO THE CHILD, THE PSYCHIATRIC THERAPIST IS BUT ANOTHER AUTHORITY FIGURE LABELING AND CONTROLLING HIS/HER LIFE IN THE INTEREST OF PRODUCING CONFORMING BEHAVIOR THAT WILL PLEASE ADULTS. PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT IS PARTICULARLY THREATENING TO CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO RIGHTS; THEY ARE MUCH LIKE INVOLUNTARY PATIENTS. THE EXPERIENCE CAN BE DEHUMANIZING AND EGO-DEFEATING. BECAUSE THE CHILD THERAPIST IS NOT PAID BY AND IS NOT AN AGENT OF HIS OSTENSIBLE CLIENT, CHILD PSYCHIATRY IS A CATEGORY OF INSTITUTIONAL PSYCHIATRY. HENCE, ALL THE PROTECTIONS ACCORDED ADULTS AGAINST INSTITUTIONAL OR INVOLUNTARY PSYCHIATRY OUGHT ALSO TO BE ACCORDED CHILDREN. FURTHER, CHILDREN SHOULD BE PROTECTED AGAINST PARTICULAR PSYCHIATRIC INTERVENTIONS, SUCH AS CONFINEMENT, PSYCHOSURGERY, ELECTROSHOCK, AND THE MORE POTENT OF THE PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGICAL DRUGS. FROM SUCH A LEGAL BASE, A CRITICAL INQUIRY SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN TO DEFINE THE PROPER SCOPE, IF ANY, OF CHILD PSYCHIATRY, CHILD PSYCHOLOGY, AND CHILD THERAPY. (RCB)